Written question WQ96478
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What is Welsh Government doing to reduce pregnancy loss and baby deaths, and how is success being measured?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy is a distressing experience for those affected. All families who experience late pregnancy loss at maternity units in Wales are supported by bereavement midwives. In early pregnancy all health boards offer psychological and emotional support through Early Pregnancy Assessment Services.
Although we currently have no specific targets to reduce pregnancy loss and baby deaths, we are committed to reducing stillbirths and neonatal deaths and the provision of equitable care by the implementation of safe and effective services for all families. Ongoing improved reduction in deaths is and will continue to be the key focus.
MBRRACE-UK is a national audit programme that collects information about all late fetal losses, stillbirths, neonatal deaths and maternal deaths across the UK. The work conducted by MBRRACE-UK forms part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP), which is funded by the Welsh Government and NHS England. Since MBRRACE reporting began in 2013 there has been an overall decline in stillbirth rates but we recognise there is still more to do.
The Strategic Maternity and Neonatal Network have a programme of work through the Maternity and Neonatal Safety Support Programme, working with health boards and key stakeholders to reduce mortality and eliminate avoidable harm. Through this programme, we are committed to reducing stillbirths and neonatal deaths and providing equitable care by the implementation of safe and effective services for all families.
Furthermore, in February, we published the Quality Statement for Maternity and Neonatal services, which sets out what good looks like in Wales and what outcomes and standards pregnant women, mothers-to-be and their families can expect to receive when accessing care. All maternity and neonatal services provided by health boards in Wales will need to make improvements to meet the ambitions in the quality statement and to ensure high-quality care is consistently provided and that experiences and outcomes are optimised.