The UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity, Sands, has responded to Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s announcement on 23rd June 2025 of a national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services. The “rapid” inquiry, set to begin this summer and report by December 2025, targets systemic failures in England’s maternity care following scandals at trusts like Shrewsbury and Telford, Morecambe Bay, and Nottingham. Sands praised the inclusion of bereaved parents in the independent taskforce but raised concerns about gaps in bereavement care and measurable targets.
Sands emphasised that listening to bereaved parents is vital for improving maternity care. “Parents tell Sands that they speak out about their babies and their experiences, so other families do not have to go through what they have been through and live with every day,” the charity stated. The investigation, co-produced with clinicians, experts, and parents, will examine up to 10 of the worst-performing maternity units, including University Hospitals Sussex and Leeds Teaching Hospitals, and review the entire maternity system to create a national action plan.
Dr Clea Harmer, chief executive of Sands, highlighted the scale of loss: “Currently every day in the UK 13 babies die shortly before, during or just after birth, and at least one in six pregnancies ends in miscarriage. This is about more than numbers, behind the statistics are devastated parents and heartbroken families. Pregnancy and baby loss leave a deep and lasting impact on thousands of people across the UK every year.” She stressed the need for open discussions about bereavement care, adding, “We know good bereavement care is a crucial part of a supported grief journey for parents.”
Sands expressed concern that Streeting’s announcement lacked explicit commitments to improving bereavement care. The charity leads the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) in England, which supports healthcare professionals with frameworks for miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death. All 128 NHS England trusts with maternity units have committed to the NBCP’s nine standards, but Sands noted that delivery requires staff training, resources, and funding for facilities like private bereavement rooms. Harmer said, “Today we are following up with the Secretary of State to determine if improvements to bereavement care will be featured in this work.”
The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit (JPU) has long advocated for clear targets. Its May 2025 Saving Babies’ Lives report proposed ten actions, including a renewed target by 2035 to reduce stillbirth, neonatal death, and preterm birth, and eliminate inequalities by ethnicity and deprivation. Harmer urged, “It is crucial these targets are agreed and committed to as they are focused on matching the best-performing countries in Europe, with the aim of making England one of the safest places in the world to give birth.”
Sands welcomed the commitment to an anti-discrimination programme addressing inequalities, particularly for Black, Asian, and underserved communities. Black women are up to three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after than white women. Campaigner Rachel Burrell said, “Public acknowledgment and a clear plan to address the glaring disparities in baby loss are long overdue. Ensuring there is a clear focus on inequalities is something I’ve advocated for years.” Amarjit K Matharoo added: “There is still a lot more to be done within the training in and around the workforce; whether this be mandatory unconscious bias training to frontline staff on a regular basis, or training around health inequalities and how to address them.”
Amber Lincoln, a bereaved mother, expressed cautious optimism: “Taking part in the meeting with Wes already shows me that there is hope for things to change, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share my story with him. Sands and Wes have given me a voice to make a difference.” Sands vowed to hold the government accountable, ensuring the inquiry leads to lasting systemic change.
