Stratford midwife continues fight for better baby loss care
THE deep distress caused by the loss of a baby before 24 weeks has been formally recognised by the Government who have pledged to give greater support families during early or late miscarriage.
Last Thursday (22nd February) a voluntary scheme for baby loss certificates was launched to acknowledge the trauma pregnancy loss causes.
The introduction of a national certificate of baby loss was a recommendation from Government’s Independent Pregnancy Loss Review which was published in July last year and was jointly led and authored by Stratford midwife Samantha Collinge and Zoe Clark-Coates MBE the CEO of The Mariposa Trust /Saying Goodbye charity
Samantha who is the lead bereavement midwife at George Eliot NHS Trust Nuneaton co-chaired the report which has 73 recommendations for improving care for people experiencing miscarriage and other forms of pre-24 week baby loss.
The next phase for both Samantha and Zoe is to work the Government to implement the report’s recommendations, while also improving wider package of support across NHS.
“This is a milestone moment for not just Zoe and myself, the co-chairs and co-authors of the ‘Independent Pregnancy Loss Review’ but for the millions of people who have experienced pre-24 weeks baby loss,” said Samantha.
“Since I was appointed as a bereavement midwife in 1998, I have campaigned for a standardised care pathway that ensures that every parent experiencing baby loss (regardless of the gestation or type of loss ) receives the physical and emotional care and support they deserve.
“The Pregnancy Loss Review with its 73 recommendations for improving care offers a real opportunity to change the landscape of pre-24 week loss and I feel enormously privileged to have co-led this piece of work.
“Miscarriage and other types of pre-24 weeks baby loss is often minimised and treated as a “clinical event ” or “just one of those things” rather than the loss of a baby and sadly the emotional impact of the loss is often disregarded.
“Zoe and I hope that the introduction of a national certificate of baby loss will give bereaved parents the official recognition that their babies did exist and that their babies lives, however brief really do matter.”
Zoe Clark-Coates said: “Over the past 5-years, it has been my honour to co-chair and write the Pregnancy Loss Review on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. The 73 recommendations that Sam and I submitted within the review offer a real opportunity to revolutionise baby loss care in England.
“My passion and long-term commitment is to help all bereaved families, and by the implementation of these recommendations, I believe we will make great strides in addressing the disparities in the care, support, education, and training that currently exist. One of those pivotal recommendations was for the introduction of a new certificate of loss, which The Mariposa Trust (sayinggoodbye.org) has tirelessly campaigned for over the past 9 years. I’m thrilled that from today millions of families will finally get the formal acknowledgment that their baby existed and I hope this will help their grieving process.
“I would like to thank Dame Floella Benjamin for working with us to make this happen and the government for their commitment to bereaved families. My focus will now turn to the other 72 recommendations to ensure their successful implementation.”
The certificate is an official but not legal document, explains the Department of Health and Social Care, which is also pledging to look at expanding eligibility for certificates pre-dating September 2018 as soon as it can.
Applications can be made via the GOV.UK website.
The eligibility criteria includes:
- You have experienced a loss under 24 weeks gestation since 1st September 2018
- Are at least 16 years of age
- Were living in England at the time of the loss
- Currently live in England
- Are one of the baby’s parents or surrogate
