Found: Parliamentary Under Secretary of Sate on The Baby Loss Certificate Service 21.02.24 Correspondence

Found: published (HC 611); (2) Correspondence from the Permanent Under-Secretary of State relating to the Baby

Found: The women who have baby loss, depending on the gestation at which they lost their baby, want a review

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when baby loss certificates will become available for people who lost their child before September 2018.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

On 22 February 2024, we launched the Baby Loss Certificate service, fulfilling our commitment in the Women’s Health Strategy. The certificate is an important acknowledgement of a life lost, and we hope it will provide some comfort and support by validating the loss.

We recognise that some people will wish to obtain a certificate for a baby loss that has happened in the past. It is currently open to pregnancy losses since 1 September 2018, and we will extend this to earlier losses as soon as we can.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of bereavement support provided to fathers following a baby loss.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Government recognises that partners can also be impacted when their loved ones are suffering from the consequences of the loss of a baby. We previously funded the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity to produce and support the roll-out of a National Bereavement Care Pathway, to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service, for parents and their families. On 22 February 2024, we launched Baby Loss Certificates, so either parent can obtain a certificate to recognise the loss of a baby before 24 weeks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has plans to increase support for bereaved parents who experience a (a) miscarriage or (b) baby loss.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Government funded the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity in order to produce and support the roll-out of a National Bereavement Care Pathway, to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service. As of 30 January 2024, 126 NHS England trusts, or 98%, have signed up to the pathway.

The Government is also continuing to implement recommendations from the Pregnancy Loss Review published in July 2023. These focus on improving the care and support that women and families receive when experiencing a pre-24-week gestation baby loss.

On 22 February 2024, we launched Baby Loss Certificates so that parents can obtain a certificate to recognise the loss of a baby before 24 weeks. As of 4 March 2024, over 37,000 certificates have been issued. This delivers on priorities set out in the Women’s Health Strategy for England, and on recommendations from the Pregnancy Loss Review.

Held In Our Hearts

Any parent of a baby lost before 24 weeks can now get a certificate if they experienced baby loss after 1 September 2018, but what about the ones before that? Extend this scheme so that is covers baby loss under 24 weeks before September 2018.

Found: Extend baby loss certificate scheme to cover baby loss before September 2018

Found: part of the government’s  commitment to action the recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review, the Baby

Found: Baby loss certificate launched to recognise parents’ grief

Found: Request a baby loss certificate

Found: The government also recently introduced baby loss certificates to support parents who have experienced

Found: Request a baby loss certificate