Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the commitment in the Women’s Health Strategy for England, published on 19 July 2022, to certify pregnancy losses occurring before 24 weeks, in what ways that certification will differ from informal certification practices already provided in some hospitals.

There is currently no formal process for parents to register the loss when a pregnancy ends before 24 weeks gestations. While some trusts have local arrangements, such as a book of remembrance or a certificate of loss, this is not consistent and is not available for the estimated 250,000 losses which take place outside medical settings. The introduction of pregnancy loss certificates in England will allow a non-statutory, voluntary scheme to enable parents who have experienced a pre-24 weeks pregnancy loss to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their baby’s potential life.