Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland on the implementation of baby loss certificates similar to those in England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Eligibility for the Baby Loss Certificate service is being continually assessed. Although health is a devolved matter, my officials have been in regular contact with their counterparts in the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, to discuss implementation of Baby Loss Certificates in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Briggs, Miles (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Lothian)
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)
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2024 to Question 19419 on Infant Mortality: Certification, what her planned timetable is for extending the scheme to pregnancy losses before 1 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. We recognise that some people will wish to obtain a certificate for a baby loss that 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.
Found: Hazard Louise Caldwell Non-MSP Group Members Present Jonathan Sher – QNIS Julie Morrison - Baby
Dec. 13 2023
Source Page: Baby Loss units: FOI releaseFound: Baby Loss units: FOI release
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to improve the provision of (a) mental health support and (b) other care for patients who have experienced early pregnancy loss.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department’s response to the Pregnancy Loss Review sets out what actions the Government intends to take to improve the care and support women and families receive when experiencing a pre-24-week gestation baby loss. We are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England so that people, including those affected by the loss of a baby or traumatic birth, can get the help and support that they need, when they need it.
As of February 2023, there were 35 Maternal Mental Health Services, which combine maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience. Services in each integrated care system area are due to be operational by March 2024.
The Government funded the Stillbirths and Neonatal Death charity to work with other baby loss charities and Royal Colleges to produce and support the roll-out of a National Bereavement Care Pathway. The pathway covers a range of circumstances of a baby loss including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, neonatal death and sudden infant death syndrome.
As of 1 January 2023, 108 National Health Service trusts or 84% in England have committed to adopting the nine National Bereavement Care Pathway standards. 21 trusts and NHS England continue to push for their inclusion.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) quality and (b) consistency of support provided by NHS Trusts for bereaved parents following miscarriage or baby loss.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In 2023/24, NHS England is investing £5.9 million nationally to support the delivery of daily bereavement care services for women and families who suffer pregnancy/baby loss and is growing the number of staff trained in bereavement care.
All parents experiencing a loss should be provided with safe and compassionate bereavement support that is responsive to their needs and choices. While we recognise that many units are working towards these standards, this standard of bereavement care provision needs to be consistent nationally.
We are also looking to improve access to and the quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners. There are now 35 Maternal Mental Health Services across England which provide psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience, including as a result of loss. Services are due to be implemented in every area of the country by March 2024.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2024 to Question 19417 on Mental Health Services: Parents, what steps her Department is taking to provide community mental health services to bereaved (a) fathers and (b) partners following pregnancy or baby loss.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England so that more people, including bereaved fathers and partners following pregnancy or baby loss, can get the help and support that they need.
As part of this, we are expanding access to psychological and talking therapies within specialist perinatal mental health services. Specialist community perinatal mental health services have now been rolled out in every part of England, and should work closely with maternal mental health services, which are also being rolled out, with 39 maternal mental health services currently available across England. Fathers and other partners of women accessing specialist community care should be able to access an evidence-based assessment for their mental health and signposting to support as required. Individuals can also access psychological support by referring themselves to NHS Talking Therapies. Details of local services are available at the following link:
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of the level of mental health support available to bereaved parents following miscarriage and baby loss and (b) potential merits of allocating additional resources for such care.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England so that people, including those affected by a miscarriage or the loss of a baby, can get the help and support that they need, when they need it.
The Pregnancy Loss Review was published earlier this year and made 73 recommendations on improving the care and support women and families receive when experiencing a pre-24-week gestation baby loss. Our response sets out in detail what actions the Government intends to take immediately to progress 20 recommendations in relation to a number of key areas including bereavement.
As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we are looking to improve the access and quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners. As of February 2023, there were 35 Maternal Mental Health Services, which provide psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience. Services in each integrated care system area are due to be operational by March 2024.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
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 maternal mental health services; and what steps she is taking to improve mental health services for women (a) during pregnancy, (b) post-pregnancy and (c) in cases of baby loss or birth trauma.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England so that people, including those affected by a miscarriage, the loss of a baby or birth trauma, can get the help and support that they need, when they need it.
The Pregnancy Loss Review was published earlier this year and made 73 recommendations on improving the care and support women and families receive when experiencing a pre-24-week gestation baby loss. Our response sets out in detail what actions the Government intends to take immediately to progress 20 recommendations in relation to several key areas.
As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we are looking to improve the access and quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners. As of February 2023, there were 35 Maternal Mental Health Services, which provide psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience. Services in each integrated care system area are due to be operational by March 2024.