Parents who suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy will be able to ask for a certificate to "provide recognition of their tragic loss," the Government has said. The voluntary scheme was announced to MPs today.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay was setting out the key components of the Women’s Health Strategy in the Commons. He said that for too long, women’s health has been “hampered by fragmented services".
Saying that more needs to be done to ensure women are better listened to in the NHS, and said the Government needs to do more to tackle the "disappointment and disillusionment" that many woemn feel.
And he said that there are a number of specific areas where targeted action is needed. He said: “These include fertility care, where we will be removing barriers that restrict access that are not health based, but based, for example, whether someone has had a child from a previous relationship and make access to facility services much more transparent.
“Another of our priority areas is to improve care for women and their partners who experienced the tragedy of pregnancy loss.
“At the moment, although parents whose babies are stillborn must legally register the stillbirth, if a pregnancy ends before 24 weeks gestation, there is no formal process for parents to legally register their baby, which I know can be distressing for many bereaved parents.
“So, we will be accepting the interim update of the independent pregnancy loss review and introducing a voluntary scheme to allow parents who have experienced a loss before 24 weeks of pregnancy to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their tragic loss.”
