It is the Government\u2019s ambition to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth by 2025 and to achieve at least a 20% reduction in these rates by 2020.<\/p>
<\/p>
The stillbirth rate in England fell from 5.1 to 4.1 per 1,000 births between 2010 and 2017, representing a decrease of almost 20% and 827 fewer stillbirths. We currently have the lowest stillbirth rate on record.<\/p>
<\/p>
A 20% decrease in stillbirth rates was recorded by early adopters of the Saving Babies\u2019 Lives Care Bundle. All maternity units are now implementing elements of the Care Bundle and there are plans to expand its scope to include other clinical interventions.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are improving investigations into term stillbirths, early neonatal deaths and other adverse outcomes, with investigations being undertaken by the independent Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch, identifying what went wrong and capturing the lessons learned.<\/p>
<\/p>
Alongside the Welsh and Scottish Health Departments, we have also funded the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool, launched in 2018. All trusts have now registered to use this tool.<\/p>
<\/p>
Additionally, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice are working together to look into whether the law should be changed to expand coronial jurisdiction to stillbirths with the intention that this may help ensure that important lessons are learnt to prevent future deaths.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-21T13:27:40.75Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department taking to reduce the number of stillbirths.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Simpson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Upper Bann"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Simpson"} ], "uin" : "203260"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1017370", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1017370/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department welcomes the independent Saving Babies\u2019 Lives Project Impact and Results Evaluation (SPiRE), published earlier this year and commissioned by NHS England.<\/p>
The report found that maternity staff have helped save more than 160 babies\u2019 lives across 19 maternity units where the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle had been implemented. The best practice guidance is now being introduced across the country and has the potential if these findings were replicated, to prevent an estimated 600 stillbirths.<\/p>
In 2017, the Department funded the Twins and Multiple Births Association\u2019s Maternity Engagement Project. The results from the interim report suggest that increased adherence to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance gave better outcomes for multiple births. This further reinforces the Department\u2019s expectation that all health professionals working with multiple pregnancies adhere to the relevant NICE guidance.<\/p>
<\/p>
We look forward to reviewing the final project report, which we understand is due for publication in mid-2019.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4545", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord O'Shaughnessy"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-10T14:47:37.28Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of NHS England's estimate that 600 stillbirths could be prevented annually as a result of implementation of the Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle; and whether any such assessment has taken account of the failure to include within the Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle a specific element on twin and multiple births and the higher rates of mortality that occur in twin and multiple births.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} ], "uin" : "HL11930"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015000", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015000/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/em><\/strong><\/p> The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1609", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chloe Smith"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Norwich North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chloe Smith"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015000/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "PQ 195587.pdf"}
, "title" : "UKSA response "}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-03T16:16:47.717Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many still-births there have been in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "195587"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/987825", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/987825/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Saving Babies\u2019 Lives Care Bundle is undergoing review by an oversight group consisting of nationally recognised experts, including representatives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society. Upon completion of the review, and subject to necessary approvals, NHS England aims to publish an updated version of the Care Bundle.<\/p> <\/p> There are no plans to include a new, specific element relating to multiple pregnancies in the updated version of the Care Bundle. The oversight group concluded that inclusion of an additional element specifically focusing on multiple pregnancies would and add little benefit beyond compliance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Hancock"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-10-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-10-23T11:32:40.643Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the updated version of the NHS Saving Babies\u2019 Lives Care Bundle will be published; and whether that update will include explicit recommendations on reducing stillbirths in twin pregnancies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1521", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Washington and Sunderland West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mrs Sharon Hodgson"}
], "uin" : "179160"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/890084", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/890084/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) began work in April 2017 to conduct high-level investigations of serious patient safety incidents in the National Health Service in England with a specific focus on system-wide learning and improvement.<\/p> <\/p> In November 2017, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that, from April 2018, HSIB would investigate all cases of early neonatal deaths, term intrapartum stillbirths and cases of severe brain injury in babies, as well as all cases of maternal death in England. HSIB did not conduct investigations in these areas in 2017.<\/p> <\/p> The new investigative approach will begin in a single region from April 2018 and rollout to all areas of England will be completed by the end of March 2019. It is estimated that there are approximately 1,000 cases of birth-related deaths or serious brain injuries in babies in England every year. The expectation is that the learning from investigations will spur system improvements leading to fewer deaths and injuries in the future.<\/p> <\/p> The Secretary of State has been clear that the HSIB maternity investigations will involve patients and families in investigations. In carrying out the maternity investigations, the HSIB will consult and seek evidence or information from the patient, family members and staff involved in the care. In addition, the HSIB will share draft reports with family members, inviting comment, and provide family members with the final report.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "137135"}
, {"_value" : "137136"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-05-01T10:14:31.413Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-04-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Health Service Investigation Branch investigations into late-term stillbirths were (a) undertaken and (b) completed in 2017.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
], "uin" : "137134"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/861160", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/861160/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1609", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chloe Smith"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Norwich North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chloe Smith"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/861160/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "PQ 132309.pdf"}
, "title" : "UKSA Response "}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-19T10:18:20.78Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many stillbirths were recorded in each month of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/114", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Loughton"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Worthing and Shoreham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Loughton"}
], "uin" : "132309"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/852552", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/852552/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Innovative healthcare interventions such as the Fetoscopic tracheal occlusion procedure must be thoroughly evaluated. Once such an evaluation has been completed the National Health Service will consider whether the intervention should become recommended practice.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-08T15:30:58.257Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Perinatal Mortality"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make available on the NHS a balloon-type device to prevent still-birth deaths.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "130550"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/820903", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/820903/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Since the Maternity Safety Action Plan was launched in 2016, more than 90% of trusts have appointed a named board-level maternity safety champion; 136 National Health Service trusts have received a share of an £8.1 million maternity safety training fund and, as of June 2017, more than 12,000 additional staff have received training. The maternal and neonatal health safety collaborative was launched on 28 February 2017 and 44 wave 1 trusts have attended intensive training on quality improvement science and are working on implementing local quality improvement projects with regular visits from a dedicated quality improvement manager; and 25 trusts were successful in their bids for a share of the £250,000 maternity safety innovation fund and have been progressing with their projects to drive improvements in safety.<\/p> <\/p> The majority of maternity care providers are now implementing all four elements of the Saving Babies\u2019 Lives Care Bundle, which recommends four key elements of evidence-based care and practice: reducing smoking in pregnancy, risk assessment and surveillance for fetal growth restriction, raising awareness of reduced fetal movement and effective fetal monitoring during labour. The Department has also funded the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford to develop a national standardised Perinatal Mortality Review Tool to support local perinatal death reviews.<\/p> <\/p> On 28 November 2017, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State published \u2018Safer Maternity Care, The National Maternity Safety Strategy - Progress and Next Steps\u2019, which set out a series of additional measures and made clear his intention to bring forward the national ambition to halve the rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth from 2030 to 2025.<\/p> <\/p> From April 2018, every case of a stillbirth, neonatal death, suspected brain injury or maternal death that is notified to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists\u2019 (RCOG) \u2018Each Baby Counts\u2019 programme, about 1,000 incidents annually, will be investigated independently, with a thorough, learning-focused investigation conducted by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. The new independent maternity safety investigations will involve families from the outset, and they will have an explicit remit not just to get to the bottom of what happened in an individual instance, but to spread knowledge around the system so that mistakes are not repeated.<\/p> <\/p> In addition, the Department has provided funding for the RCOG to launch 'Each Baby Counts Learn and Support' - a programme of work to enable greater collaboration between the Royal Colleges and the NHS via the Maternal and Neonatal Health Safety Collaborative - the aim is to align quality and safety improvement, multi-professional learning and clinical leadership into a consistent and sustainable safety strategy across the system. The Department is also providing new funding to train health practitioners, such as maternity support workers, to deliver evidence-based smoking cessation according to appropriate national standards.<\/p> <\/p> Further information about the additional measures in place to achieve the ambition and reduce stillbirths can be found here in the National Maternity Safety Strategy:<\/p>