Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about progress towards the national ambition to reduce baby loss.

The death of a baby is a devastating experience. I sympathise profoundly with anyone who has been affected and I pay tribute to members of the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance, including the charity Stillbirth and Neonatal Death (Sands), who work together to drive through change and improvements in policy, research, bereavement care and support for anyone affected by the death of a baby.

While progress has been made in reducing baby loss and improving maternity safety, there is much more to do to make the NHS the safest place in the world in which to have a baby.

The 2015 report of the Kirkup review uncovered “serious and shocking” problems with maternity care at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. Major concerns have also been raised at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

A report published recently by the Health and Social Care Committee said that while the Government has made good progress towards halving the rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, improvements are required. The Committee’s Expert Panel gave ‘Inadequate’ ratings for aspects of continuity of carer, personalised care, and safe staffing.

I share concerns that have been raised about the significant variation in the quality and availability of neonatal care across England. I agree with the Committee’s recommendations that the Government must commit to funding the maternity workforce at the level required to deliver safe care to all mothers and their babies, as well as setting clear targets to address the inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes.

More widely, I recognise Sands’ wider call for access to well-resourced continuity of carer models across all local maternity services to ensure consistency in the midwife or clinical team that provides care for a woman and her baby throughout the maternity journey. I urge Ministers to set out their plans to extend the continuity of carer model across the country and ensure pregnant women, particularly those who have previously experienced baby loss, can access this vital service.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP