Cherilyn Mackrory MP for Truro and Falmouth is delighted to welcome the Department of Health and Social Care’s announcement of a package of new measures to boost the health and wellbeing of women and girls.
Following a year on from the Government’s flagship Women’s Health Strategy, this announcement represents a significant step towards improving the support and care available to women and girls and their families through the unbearable and devastating impacts of baby loss. These new measures include:
- First ever dedicated area for women and girls on NHS website, including new content on adenomyosis, periods and HRT
- Support for bereaved parents who have experienced pregnancy loss, with voluntary certificates and work to provide appropriate 24/7 care
- £25 million distributed nationwide to help create women’s health hubs
The Government has further announced the launch of a new women’s health area on the NHS website. This will allow women to directly access specialist support at every stage of their lives and will sit alongside a brand-new online hormone replacement therapy hub designed to help women manage menopausal symptoms and allow individuals to easily access important information and what medication and care is more suitable for them.
Cherilyn said:
“Since my election I have committed to improving women and girl’s access to health and social care. Here in Truro, I have secured the construction of the new women and children’s hospital. In Parliament I chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Baby Loss, and co-chair the Women’s Health APPG.
“I am behind the Government all the way on this issue. The Women’s Health Strategy was a landmark achievement by the Government in helping to improve health and social care for women and girls across the UK. I am delighted that we can now go a step further with new policies to get women and girls the help and care they need directly.
“I have campaigned hard, particularly for greater action on pregnancy loss. I know the new voluntary pregnancy loss certificate will mean so much to families’ suffering this heartbreak.
“When Lily was born sleeping at Treliske at just 21 weeks our world stopped. Yet the rest of the world continued. To have had a certificate that she had existed would have been precious and important. To help grieving parents with work conversations, this is an important step forward.”
This certificate follows the Independent Pregnancy Loss Review carried out by Zoe Clark-Coates MBE (founder and CEO of The Mariposa Trust) and Samantha Collinge (Lead Bereavement Midwife at the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust). It will be available to parents from Baby Loss Awareness Week (9 to 15 October 2023) to help parents through their pain and provide a form of comfort and acknowledgement. Given the importance of them feeling comfortable and respected over this summer, the certificate will be tested with 1,000 bereaved families who will be able to advise government on the application process. Those involved with testing this summer will be able to receive a certificate themselves.
The Government have announced further measures to boost women’s and girls’ health and wellbeing, including:
- The development of a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to identify early risks in maternity units. The Government will host an event where clinicians and data scientists will collaborate to harness the power of AI to analyse vast amounts of data, helping to identify any concerning trends in maternity units
- £25 million will be distributed across England so every area can create a women’s health hub, with each integrated care board (ICB) set to receive £595,000 to meet local women’s health and wellbeing needs
- Greater IVF transparency through an accessible new tool on GOV.UK to allow people to look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatment in their area
- The Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan, has formed a new network of women’s health champions - made up of senior leadership in every local care system and co-chaired with NHS England - who will use their leadership and experience to drive forward wider work to improve women’s health.
Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said:
“A year on from the launch of our women’s health strategy, we have much progress to celebrate. Over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper HRT, new women’s health hubs are popping up across the country and we’re adding a dedicated women’s health area to the NHS website. But there is plenty more to do.
“Our work continues to support women through the agony of pregnancy loss. I’d like to thank all the brave and inspiring women who have campaigned tirelessly for change as well as the review leads Zoe Clark-Coates and Samantha Collinge, who carried out this really important review.
“We will keep working and investing so girls and women across the country can benefit from the world-class healthcare they deserve.”
Zoe Clark-Coates MBE BCAh, founder and CEO The Mariposa Trust, and co-chair of the Pregnancy Loss Review said:
“Over the past 5 years, it has been my honour to co-chair and write the Pregnancy Loss Review. The 73 recommendations that Sam and I have submitted within the review offer a real opportunity to revolutionise baby loss care in England. My passion and long-term commitment is to help all bereaved families, and by the implementation of these recommendations, I believe we will make great strides in addressing the disparities in the care, support, education and training that currently exist.
“I would like to thank the minister and government for their swift response, support and commitment to action all the recommendations over the short, medium and long-term. Change is not going to happen overnight, but I am reassured that there is the desire and commitment to provide compassionate care and clinical excellence.
“I look forward to assisting the health minister with the implementation of the recommendations over the coming months and years, and ensuring that the work of this review, and the spirit of the recommendations are upheld.”
Samantha Collinge, Bereavement Lead Midwife, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and co-chair of the Pregnancy Loss Review said:
“The Pregnancy Loss Review and its recommendations offer a real opportunity to radically improve the care experience of parents and their families experiencing baby loss and I feel enormously privileged to have been able to co-lead this piece of work.
“I would like to pay tribute to the courage of the bereaved parents who so freely shared with us their often harrowing stories of loss through their own desire to see and bring about change.
“Similarly, Zoe and I are indebted to the countless passionate and dedicated healthcare professionals, organisations and charities who sacrifice their own psychological wellbeing on a daily basis in working with and striving to improve care for families experiencing baby loss.
“I look forward to working with the government to drive these recommendations forward and ensure that that this vital learning from families and care providers is suitably implemented.”