Thank you to everyone who has written to me to share their deep concern about the support available to families following a miscarriage.
I want to recognise that losing a baby during pregnancy can be a time of great difficulty and sadness. My deepest sympathies are with parents who suffer a miscarriage.
I understand that around one in seven couples trying to conceive will experience some difficulty, and the risk of miscarriage is estimated at 15% or around 120,000 per year in the UK. However, due to limitations in reporting pregnancy loss, the true figure could be higher at around 250,000 a year. A small proportion of women will go on to have repeated miscarriages.
Just as ensuring straightforward access to contraception is an important part of supporting women’s voices and choices, so too is providing fertility services for those who need them – and responsive services and support when things go wrong.
I am aware that the findings of a pilot study into the Graded Model of Miscarriage Care at the Tommy’s Miscarriage Centre at Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital are expected this year. Following the results of the study, I am pleased Ministers have said they will work with stakeholders to review the evidence and implications of rolling out a graded model of care for repeated miscarriage. Ministers will closely review the study’s outcome and work with partners to consider wider adoption of the model. This would be part of a package of actions in response to Baroness Amos’s investigation into maternity and neonatal services.
You may be aware that the investigation is bringing together the findings of past reviews into a clear, national set of actions. Her work to date has involved meeting with over 400 family members, and a call for evidence has received over 8,000 responses. The investigation will ensure every woman and baby receives safe, high-quality and compassionate care. Following the investigation, the Health Secretary will chair the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to address the recommendations and develop a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.
As some constituents already know, I spoke about my own experience of baby loss during Baby Loss Awareness Week in the House of Commons in 2016. You can watch my speech and hear my story by clicking here.
Thank you once again to everyone who contacted me about this sensitive issue. I again offer my sympathies to any family that has suffered a miscarriage.