The NHS has announced the inclusion of the Sands National Bereavement Care Pathways (NBCP) in its national plans to improve maternity and neonatal services in England.
This marks a major milestone for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, and its partner organisations, who have campaigned for consistent and compassionate care for families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss.
Strengthening bereavement care
The integration of the NBCP means NHS services will immediately enhance bereavement care to ensure parents feel supported and heard after a stillbirth or neonatal death. By embedding the pathways into daily practice, healthcare providers aim to improve outcomes, reduce trauma, and build trust in maternity and neonatal units.
Launched in 2017, the NBCP was developed by Sands in partnership with organisations such as Bliss, The Lullaby Trust, The Miscarriage Association, and ARC, along with professional bodies including the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. It was designed to address inconsistencies in bereavement support across the country.
As of June 2024, all 128 NHS trusts in England with maternity units have committed to implementing the nine bereavement care standards. These cover miscarriage, termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly, stillbirth, neonatal death, and the sudden unexpected death of an infant up to 12 months.
What is the NBCP?
The NBCP is a best practice framework guiding maternity services to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and personalised care for bereaved parents and families following the loss of a baby.
Sands’ Chief Executive, Clea Harmer, said: “Having the bereavement care standards and the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death National Bereavement Care Pathways embedded in NHS England guidance is a major milestone in ensuring everyone touched by pregnancy or baby loss gets the high quality and accessible bereavement care they need.
“This success is down to the fact that Sands and our NBCP partners have led the way in improving high-quality bereavement care across the UK. Sands will continue to lead and drive improvements in bereavement care with the NHS and our partners to help embed the NBCP and make sure it is effective and makes a difference to all bereaved parents.”
Proven improvements
Independent evaluations of NBCP pilot sites, initially involving 32 trusts, found significant benefits. Healthcare professionals reported clearer guidance, better communication between departments, and increased confidence in supporting bereaved families. Parents surveyed described hospitals as more caring environments, with 92% saying they felt treated with respect.
How the pathways help families
The NBCP offers practical guidance for healthcare professionals, covering areas such as:
- Providing bereavement rooms and memory-making opportunities
- Offering emotional and psychological support
- Ensuring consistent standards of care and behaviour across all settings
These standards address both the emotional needs of families and the professional requirements of staff, ensuring care remains personal and consistent.
National rollout and future plans
Integrated Care Boards, which oversee health service planning and funding locally, are implementing the NBCP’s principles to transform bereavement care and ensure parents’ voices are heard.
This initiative supports the NHS 2023 Three Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services, which allocates £5.9 million this year to expand bereavement services to seven days a week and reduce inequalities in outcomes. It also builds on the NHS Long Term Plan’s goal to halve stillbirth and neonatal death rates by 2025 while improving perinatal mental health support.
Sands’ National Bereavement Care Pathway Manager for England, Dr Rebecca Ashley, said: “The voice and experiences of bereaved families has been vital in recognising the importance and value of high quality bereavement care and the lasting impact this can have. Real experiences are at the heart of the NBCP and we are thankful to those who have bravely shared their experiences to impact positive change. Your experiences and insights will now shape the bereavement care of the future.”
Sands continues to develop NBCP tools, including new modules released in November 2024 that focus on supporting diverse families and community-based care. These were developed with partners such as North West Ambulance and East Lancashire Hospitals.
Support beyond the hospital
While Scotland has made the NBCP mandatory, Wales and Northern Ireland are also advancing in implementation. Families affected by baby loss can access support through the Sands helpline, support groups, and online resources.
