Found: Indian government to better protect its Christian population 115 Closed on 4 February 2024 Create a baby

Found: acknowledged this gap, though she highlighted work being done to better support whole families going through baby

Found: The changes include introducing a transitioning at work policy and a baby loss policy.

Found: Loss Certification service.

Found: The changes include introducing a transitioning at work policy and a baby loss policy.

Found: Munira Oza Lay member Direct, non- financial personal and professional Baby Loss Awareness Alliance

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26234 by Maree Todd on 15 April 2024, whether it can provide details of its work in implementing the recommendations relating to bereavement in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's 1st Report, 2022 (Session 6), Inquiry into perinatal mental health (SP Paper 104), which was published on 8 February 2022.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The Scottish Government committed through the Programme for Government 2021-2022 and 2023–24 to improve miscarriage care, part of this work includes the provision of separate spaces in maternity wards in hospitals for those experiencing a pregnancy or baby loss.

We also funded Sands UK to develop and implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland (NBCP). All 14 NHS Boards are now signed up to the Pathways and implementation is ongoing with continued support from Sands.

The pathways acknowledge that bereavement care is the responsibility of all health professionals working in maternity services. While some NHS Boards have specialist bereavement midwives, all midwives, consultants and other workforce are trained in bereavement care. The maternity workforce, aim to have an informed, skilled team who are all able to provide the specialist care that bereaved parents need.

In addition to wider maternity bereavement supports, perinatal mental health services have a role in ensuring continuity, appropriate support, and signposting/transition for any parent who is within the perinatal period, is in receipt of perinatal mental health services and experiences bereavement.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25831 by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2024, whether the development of specialist community perinatal mental health services includes provision for bereavement suites in maternity wards.

Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport

Provision for bereavement support within maternity wards is outside of the scope of specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services, which support women with complex mental health presentations.

The Scottish Government committed through the Programme for Government 2023 – 24 to improve miscarriage care. Part of this work includes the provision of separate spaces in maternity wards in hospitals for those experiencing a pregnancy or baby loss.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing services and support structures which facilitate good Perinatal and Infant mental health across Scotland, investing over £36 million since 2019. This includes funding for the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) third sector fund which has supported a range projects, including Held In Our Hearts which provide counselling and mental health support to parents and families who are pregnant after having experienced baby loss.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support a minimum framework for bereavement care when a baby or infant dies.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting families who have experienced pregnancy and baby loss through the delivery of high-quality, sensitive bereavement care, and has provided funding to Sands UK to develop and implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland (NBCP).

All 14 NHS Boards are now officially signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway which is currently being implemented in 9 Boards. Initial meetings have taken place with the remaining 5 Boards, who signed up at the end of 2023. A link to the NBCP can be found here: Home | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk)

SANDS UK have also produced Bereavement Care Standards and these complement the National Bereavement Care Pathways for Scotland. The Scottish Government encourages NHS Boards to use the bereavement care standards wherever possible. More information on the Bereavement Care Standards can be found here: Bereavement Care Standards | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk)