Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of bereavement support midwife availability in maternity units across the NHS.

All bereaved parents should be offered the same high standard of care and support in an appropriate environment.

In 2016, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity, Sands, published Audit of bereavement care provision in UK maternity. The audit found that of the 66 trusts and health boards which responded, 62% of the maternity units they cover have at least one bereavement support midwife that is based there.

NHS England has commissioned Sands to undertake a project on the role of the bereavement midwife. The project will make recommendations for the remit of the role of the bereavement midwife and also give some guidance on the support structures required around the role. Sands are due to report their finds to NHS England later this year.