Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of stillbirths.

We have made reducing stillbirth an improvement area for the National Health Service in the NHS Outcomes Framework. It is encouraging that the stillbirth rate in England has fallen from 5.2 stillbirths per 1,000 total births in 2011 to 4.7 in 2013.

The Department is working with key partners, including NHS England, Public Health England, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives and the stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, to identify and drive forward the actions required to help reduce further the stillbirth and neonatal mortality rate in England.

Our stillbirth prevention work programme aims to reduce stillbirth and neonatal mortality by raising awareness of the known risk factors; identifying the currently unknown factors and causes associated with perinatal and infant mortality; and facilitate the learning and sharing of good practice across the NHS.

This programme covers a range of initiatives which include raising awareness of the known risk factors among pregnant women and health professionals. This will ensure women receive consistent advice on how to minimise the risk of stillbirth – including the importance of eating healthily and not smoking or drinking alcohol – as well as being aware of fetal movement and what is normal for their baby, and where to go for help if they suspect there is a problem.

Reducing perinatal mortality, including stillbirth, is included as an improvement area for the NHS in the NHS Outcomes Framework and remains a priority for the Government.