Written question WQ97787

We want everyone to be able to access high-quality bereavement care and support to meet their needs effectively, whenever they need it. This is set out in the National Framework for the Delivery of Bereavement Care in Wales. The framework includes core principles, minimum bereavement care standards and a range of actions to support regional and local planning.

Since 2021, we have invested more than £8m in bereavement support, including providing health boards with more than £1.2m to support bereavement co-ordination and implementation of the bereavement pathways and care standards.

All women in early pregnancy have a named midwife to provide ongoing support and can signpost/refer to other sources of help as needed.

We are working with the All-Wales Maternity and Neonatal Network and Sands, to implement specific pathways for pregnancy and baby loss. Specific pathways are being developed for miscarriage, termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly, stillbirth, neonatal death and sudden unexpected death in infancy. These will support access to counselling, memory-making opportunities like handprints, photographs, and keepsakes, information booklets and online resources tailored to different types of loss, and referrals to charities and support organisations for ongoing care.

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is based on the principle of early intervention, prevention and person-centred care, ensuring people are referred to the most appropriate form of support, at the right time and without delay. This includes our intention to embed a stepped care model for all-age mental health and wellbeing. This model will look to support same day open access to mental health and wellbeing care at the point of need and stage of readiness, with minimal assessment.

The strategy also includes action on a national psychological interventions programme. This includes building a skilled and flexible workforce to deliver psychological interventions, further work on the psychological therapies offer for perinatal mental health and expansion of our digital psychological therapies offer.