Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS leaders regarding the mandatory training required for staff involved in the handling of miscarriage tissue.

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.