Baby Loss
A general debate on baby loss is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on 13 October 2025, to coincide with Baby Loss Awareness Week. The subject for the debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
The term baby loss can describe different types of bereavement including miscarriage (when a baby dies before 24 weeks of pregnancy), ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, stillbirth (the death of a baby at or after 24 weeks), neonatal and infant death, and termination of pregnancy.
There are several briefings from the House of Commons Library and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) which may provide useful information in preparation for the debate on baby loss:
- Quality and safety of maternity care (England) (February 2025)
- Maternal, newborn and infant health: priorities for improved outcomes (July 2025)
- Infant mortality and health inequalities (November 2023)
Baby Loss Awareness week has been held annually for the last 22 years. It is a time for those affected by baby loss to remember and commemorate their babies’ lives and to raise awareness of this issue. This year it runs between 9 and 15 October. Baby Loss Awareness week is coordinated and supported by over 100 charities including the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, Sands, the Miscarriage Association and Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC).
Policies to improve maternal care The National Maternity Safety AmbitionThe National Maternity Safety Ambition was launched in 2015. It aimed to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2030. The target date was later brought forward to 2025 (pdf). Statistics show the neonatal and maternal death rates appear unlikely to halve by 2025. Although the stillbirth rate fell by more than 20% between 2010 and 2020, more recent figures for 2022 show the rate has since increased and a 50% reduction may not be met.
In December 2024, the government said “The National Maternity Safety Ambition will end in 2025. We are currently looking carefully at what comes beyond this ambition, to ensure that an evidence-based approach is taken, and that all targets are woman- and baby-centred.”
Three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal servicesThe most recent policy for maternity care is set out in the Three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, published by the previous government in March 2023. The plan is centred around four key themes:
- listening to women and families with compassion
- supporting our workforce
- developing and sustaining a culture of safety
- meeting and improving standards and structures
This three-year plan builds on maternity safety measures in the NHS Long Term Plan (published in January 2019) and on the work of NHS England’s Maternity Transformation Programme.
Recent developments National maternity investigationIn June 2025, the UK government launched a National Maternity Investigation, also referred to as a rapid review, to examine maternity and neonatal services across England. It was announced that the review, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, would focus on up to ten NHS trusts identified through family input and existing concerns. It aims to consolidate findings from previous inquiries and provide a unified set of recommendations to improve the quality and safety of maternity care quality.
The investigation is being developed in collaboration with families, clinicians, and subject matter experts. It will consider factors such as disparities in outcomes, leadership and cultural practices, and the implementation of safety recommendations.
The government simultaneously announced the creation of a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, “chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and made up of a panel of esteemed experts and bereaved families.” The Taskforce will focus on long-term system reform.
In September 2025, it was announced that 14 hospital trusts had been chosen for investigation under the rapid review. The initial findings of the investigation are expected by December 2025.
10-year health plan for EnglandIn July 2025 the government published its 10 year health plan for England, ‘Fit for the Future’. The plan includes specific commitments to improve the quality of maternity care. They include the setting up of the national independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services, and the national maternity and neonatal taskforce. The plan includes further commitments to:
- Develop patient reported quality metrics for maternity care, based on outcomes and experience; and
- produce a new national maternity and neonatal action plan, coproduced with bereaved families.
Infant Mortality: Bereavement Counselling
12 September 2025 | UIN 73955
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that bereaved parents have equal access to specialist psychological support following (a) pregnancy and (b) baby loss.
Answering member: Karin Smyth | Department of Health and Social Care
Experiencing pregnancy or baby loss can be extremely difficult and traumatic. We are determined to make sure all bereaved parents, regardless of where they live, have access to specialist psychological support.
As of June 2025, Maternal Mental Health Services are now available in all areas of England. These services provide specialist psychological support for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or baby loss.
All trusts in England are also signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway. This pathway is designed to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care for parents and families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss.
We also recognise the importance of maternity bereavement services being available at all times. Seven day a week bereavement services are in the process of being set up in every area in England to support women and families who experience pregnancy loss or neonatal death.
Infant Mortality: Surrey Health
1 September 2025 | UIN 70110
Asked by: Dr Al Pinkerton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mental health support available to parents who have experienced baby loss in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answering member: Karin Smyth | Department of Health and Social Care
Spending on specialist community perinatal mental health services continues to increase every year. The latest National Health Service figures show that integrated care boards spent £212 million in 2024/25, which is an increase of £18 million over the £194 million spent in 2023/24.
We recognise that more support for parents is needed and are making steady improvements. Bereavement services operating seven days a week are being set up in every area in England to support women and families who experience pregnancy loss or neonatal death. Additionally, in February 2024, the Department launched the baby loss certificate service, which is a voluntary scheme to enable parents who have experienced any pre-24-week pregnancy loss to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their loss if they wish to do so.
Bereavement Counselling and Maternity Services: Ethnic Groups
16 July 2025 | UIN 65334
Asked by: Carla Lockhart
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to (a) maternity and (b) bereavement care services for Black and Asian families.
Answering member: Karin Smyth | Department of Health and Social Care
It is a priority for this Government to make sure all women and babies receive high-quality and equitable access to care, regardless of their background, location or ethnicity.
As part of NHS England's three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, all local areas now have in place Equity and Equality action plans. These plans tackle inequalities and barriers to access for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas and also set out how they will equip staff to provide culturally competent care. Integrated Care Boards are responsible for assuring implementation of these plans, and evidence suggests the plans have led to prioritisation of equity for mothers and babies, and increased engagement with service users.
NHS England is also ensuring that maternity healthcare professionals receive training on culturally competent care, which can be a barrier to equitable access for black and Asian women. This is done through their Core Competency Framework and provision of the Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Maternity Services e-learning course. Over 15,400 maternity staff have completed this. NHS England has also embedded equity-focused leadership development through the Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme. All 150 maternity and neonatal units in England have participated in the programme.
With regards to bereavement care services, all trusts in England are now signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway, which covers a range of circumstances of baby loss. The aim is to ensure that all bereaved parents, regardless of their background, location or ethnicity, are offered equal, high quality, personalised, safe and sensitive care. In addition, ‘7 days a week’ bereavement services are being set up in every area in England to support women and families who experience pregnancy loss or neonatal death.
We recognise that to deliver consistently high-quality care, much more is required. On 23 June 2025, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced he would be launching an independent, national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to look at the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care, and to rapidly put in place solutions to improve maternity safety and quality. Alongside this, he also announced that we would be establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, which he will chair. Membership of that taskforce will be representative of those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health.
Press and stakeholder materialsThe following is a selection of news and media articles relevant to this debate. Please note: the Library is not responsible for either the views or the accuracy of external content.
- Maternal Mental Health Alliance, What the 10 Year Health Plan means for perinatal mental health, 8 July 2025
- The King’s Fund, The health of women from ethnic minority groups in England, 6 March 2025
- Nuffield Trust, Stillbirths and neonatal and infant mortality, 29 August 2024
- Royal College of Nursing, ‘Better support is needed after baby loss’, 10 April 2024
- Royal College of Midwives, RCM welcomes introduction of baby loss certificates, 22 February 2024
- Department of Health and Social Care, More than 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued, 8 April 2025
- NHS England, National pregnancy and baby loss people policy framework, 24 April 2024
- Department of Health and Social Care, Baby loss certificate launched to recognise parents’ grief, 22 February 2024
- Department of Health and Social Care, Pregnancy Loss Review - summary report, 22 July 2023
- House of Commons Library, Registration of stillbirth, 4 February 2025
- House of Commons Library, Preventable baby deaths, 2 September 2024
- House of Commons Library, Baby Loss and Safe Staffing in Maternity Care, 21 October 2022