Each year in the UK an estimated 254,000 pregnancies end with the baby dying whilst in the womb or during birth. This a tragically high figure that must be brought down.

At JMW we represent countless families who have suffered the avoidable death of a baby; we understand the catastrophic impact this has for many years to come. Most of the clients we support have suffered the stillbirth or a much-wanted baby due to failures in the provision of their care. However, baby loss at any stage can have a devastating impact.

In July 2023, ‘The Independent Pregnancy Loss Review’ report, commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, was published. The review sets out a vision for improving the care and support available to families who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks (the point at which the baby is considered able to survive outside of the womb). In recent years there have rightly been improvements in care for families who have experienced a stillbirth or the death of a newborn. This latest report focuses on improving care and safety for those families who experience earlier loss, including miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancy.

The review proposes 73 recommendations with the intention of supporting the government and the NHS to deliver better care.

To summarise, recommendations call for a system in which:

• There is clarity about whom to call and where to go when pain and bleeding occur at any stage of pregnancy, and what to expect during and after baby loss.
• Care is compassionate, individualised, and respectful of personal, cultural, religious and language preferences, and parents and their babies (including baby loss remains at any gestation) are cared for with dignity and respect.
• Women and partners experiencing loss are routinely offered mental health support following a loss and have access to specialist counselling and mental health services, where appropriate.
• Bereaved parents can, on request, receive a baby loss certificate from the government, whether their loss was recent or historic.
• There are systems in place for employers to manage the potential impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of all staff employed in workplaces providing baby loss services.

Of course, in order to improve the system for all, there must be a focus on tackling the inequalities that exist in maternity care. This is acknowledged by the review which notes there is an increased risk of loss for women from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority groups as well as people from low income and deprived areas. The review suggests targeted support, care and pathways ought to be developed, by way of thorough research, in order for the safety and care of all families experiencing baby loss to truly be addressed.

The government recently published a response to the review which sets out steps both the government and NHS plan to take in order to progress the recommendations made. 

By way of summary, the government plan to prioritise and take immediate action to implement 20 out of the 73 recommendations. In regard to the remaining recommendations that cannot be immediately implemented, it has been confirmed that, during the next 12 months, the government will organise a series of workshops, roundtable discussions and stakeholder meetings in order to plan for medium and long-term change.

The review is a positive step towards improving the quality of care currently offered to bereaved families. Although not all recommendations can be immediately implemented, and further research is required to address disparities, I do hope reform begins to take effect as soon as is possible so that all families who experience baby loss are able to access the care they deserve.