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<p>The NHS locally is expected to ensure that appropriate facilities and services
are in place to support parents following the illness or death of a newborn baby.
NHS England’s Neonatal Critical Care Service Specification states that “the service
will deliver the aim to improve both life expectancy and quality of life for newborn
babies by:</p><p>- Delivering care in a family-centred way that seeks to minimise
the physical and psychological impact of neonatal care on the baby and their family,
for example by improving psychological outcomes and breastfeeding rates</p><p>- Providing
an environment where parents are enabled to make informed decisions about treatment
and become involved in the care of their baby / babies, thereby minimising the psychological
trauma of premature or sick term babies.”</p><p>The MBRRACE-UK report on the confidential
enquiry into term antepartum stillbirths, published on 19 November 2015, found a good
standard of bereavement care documented as being given to parents immediately following
birth. However, several areas for improvement were identified including the finding
that there was wide variation in the availability of a specialist bereavement midwife,
with only one third of case notes showing evidence of their involvement.</p><br /><p>Following
that report, and following a debate in the House of Commons on 2 November, (<em>Official
Report</em>, columns 844-852) the Department is looking at the number of bereavement
suites around the country and will engage with the NHS to reaffirm the importance
of putting into practice existing guidance on bereavement including through mandated
accountability processes.</p><p>Health Education England is working with partners
to ensure that pre and post registration training in perinatal mental health is available
to enable specialist staff to be available to every birthing unit by 2017.</p><br
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