Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health support services for bereaved parents following baby loss.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that experiencing a baby loss can be an extremely difficult time and we are determined to make sure all women, babies, and their families receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.
As of June 2025, Maternal Mental Health Services are available in all 42 integrated care system areas of England. These services provide care for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or baby loss.
A record 63,858 women accessed a specialist community perinatal mental health service or maternal mental health services in the 12 months to February 2025. This is a 109% increase from March 2020.
We have developed the National Bereavement Care Pathway in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity, to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service. The pathway covers a range of baby loss circumstances, including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, neonatal death, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
While the Government has not carried out a formal assessment of mental health support services for bereaved parents following baby loss, we are committed to transforming and improving mental health care, as set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce incidents of stillbirths amongst black and Asian families.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that losing a baby or pregnancy loss is extremely difficult for parents and families. We are determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
While the vast majority of births in England are safe, the stark inequalities in maternity outcomes demonstrate that there are deep-seated issues across maternity and neonatal services.
To address these and other issues within maternity and neonatal care, a rapid independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services is being launched. This will look at the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care, taking into account findings from previous maternity reviews.
This includes the Maternity Outcome Signalling System, a new system that will monitor the rates of term stillbirth, neonatal death, and brain injury. It will immediately flag unusually high rates to prompt a rapid review of any safety concerns. We have already made progress in this area, for example through the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal deaths, and preterm births.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are aware of the following (internally) published events that these networks organised in May 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the report published on 21 May by the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, Saving Babies' Lives Progress Report 2025, what assessment they have made of inequalities in (1) pregnancy, and (2) baby loss, by (a) ethnicity, and (b) deprivation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is determined to make sure all women, babies, and families receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, regardless of background, location, or ethnicity.
Whilst there has been good progress in reducing the rates of stillbirth and neonatal death, we know much more needs to be done. We are looking carefully at what comes beyond the National Maternity Safety Ambition to ensure that we take an evidence-based approach, ensuring any targets are backed by action, are women and baby-centered, and focused squarely on tackling inequalities. As part of this, we are currently taking into consideration the recommendations in Sands and Tommy’s Saving Babies’ Lives 2025 Report.
On 23 June we announced a National Independent Investigation into Maternity and Neonatal Services, which will look at areas where families have repeatedly experienced issues including accountability, leadership and culture, inequalities, listening to women, and how the system responds to failings in care, along with a new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce that will take forward the recommendations of the investigation. We also announced immediate action alongside this, including the development of a maternal care bundle which aims to reduce deaths and serious harm, and reduce inequalities in maternal mortality. The Health Mission and 10-Year Health Plan are also addressing the wider determinants of health and health inequalities.
While we know we need new action to go further, some good progress has been made. NHS England’s Three-Year Plan includes the rollout of version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth. It also includes initiatives to reduce inequalities, such as initiatives that focus on reducing smoking in pregnancy. As of May 2025, 97% of maternity providers in England were on track to fully implement the latest version of this bundle.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the baby loss certificate scheme, and whether they have plans to extend it further.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The baby loss certificate scheme was launched by the Department in February 2024, initially for losses that occurred after 1 September 2018. In October 2024, the scheme was extended to make the service available for all losses. The scheme has received very positive feedback from families, enabling those who have experienced pregnancy loss to receive a certificate recognising their loss, if they wish to do so. To date, over 100,000 certificates have been issued. The scheme currently only applies to losses that took place in England.
A formal assessment of the implementation of the baby loss certificate scheme has not been made. As part of plans for the future of the scheme, the Department and its Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts have discussed the possibility of the Baby Loss Certificate scheme becoming available in Wales and Northern Ireland. As healthcare in Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of their respective governments, Welsh and Northern Irish officials are leading on this piece of work.
Asked by: Claire Hughes (Labour - Bangor Aberconwy)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government on making baby loss certificates available in Wales.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and their Welsh counterparts have discussed the possibility of the Baby Loss Certificate scheme becoming available in Wales. As healthcare in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh administration, Welsh officials are leading on this piece of work.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on the potential impact of aid shortages on baby mortality in Gaza; and if he will take additional steps to help prevent potential loss of life.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary said to this house on 20 May, the threat of starvation hanging over hundreds of thousands of civilians is abominable, this includes the risk to infants and children who are disproportionately affected by the conflict. On 19 May, we issued a statement, with France and Canada, calling on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter. The Minister for Development reiterated our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services in a meeting with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May and in a visit to the region on 21 May where she met UNRWA staff and separately announced a further £4 million in funding to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health support for (a) fathers and (b) partners impacted by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby provided by (i) maternal mental health services, (ii) improving access to psychological support services and (iii) community mental health services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that experiencing baby loss can be devastating and we are committed to ensuring that all families receive safe, personalised, equitable and compassionate care.
Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services offer mental health assessments and signposting to support as required for partners of women accessing services. This contributes to helping to care for the 5-10% of fathers who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period.
To date, we have not undertaken an assessment of the adequacy of mental health support for fathers and partners impacted by baby loss provided by Maternal Mental Health Services.
Mental health services within the National Health Service can support adults who are experiencing mental health problems because of baby loss. The Government has chosen to prioritise funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies. These offer well-governed, evidence-based, and effective psychological therapy services for common mental health problems, including depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress reactions. These services are available in every integrated care system through self-referral.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all Integrated Care Systems in England commission Maternal Mental Health Services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise how important it is for women with perinatal mental health problems to get the right care and support they need. Women who need support can access specialist perinatal mental health services, including mother and baby units, specialist perinatal community teams, and newly established Maternal Mental Health Services.
Maternal Mental Health Services have been set up to provide care for women with moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or loss in the maternity and neonatal context.
As of April 2025, 41 Maternal Mental Health Services are live, with services in every integrated care system area in England due to be operational by end of the first quarter of 2025/26.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on the Women's Health Strategy in relation to (a) healthy lifestyle choices, (b) breast cancer and (c) women's health generally.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.
The Government and the NHS provide a range of services to support people, including women, to make healthy lifestyle choices. For example, through stop smoking services, sexual health services, and weight management services. The National Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme is also supporting pregnant women to quit smoking.
Reducing unwarranted variation in cancer treatment is a strategic priority for the NHS. On World Cancer Day this year, the Department announced a major world-leading artificial intelligence trial to transform cancer care, helping radiologists catch breast cancer earlier. Also, in February 2025 NHS England launched its first-ever awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of breast screening and encourage more women to participate. Further information about this campaign is available at the following link:
We are continuing to improve the health of women and girls, for example by supporting those who have experienced pregnancy loss through a full rollout of baby loss certificates, through menopause support in the workplace, access to emergency hormonal contraception, and by boosting women’s participation in research and clinical trials.