Written question WQ99918

The former Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care issued a Ministerial Direction to the NHS Business Services Authority to explore options for a bilingual baby loss certificate scheme for Wales. The discovery phase has been completed, including testing a bilingual digital journey with users in Wales. Officials are now considering feasibility options, costs and timescales.

The main barrier to implementation is the fact that, unlike in Scotland, Wales does not possess its own national records. As such, the Welsh Government cannot complete verification of such certificates and must rely on external partners to do so. The introduction of such a scheme – which remains the Welsh Government’s ambition – must therefore ensure that the relevant information is accessed securely and accurately. Officials have held discussions with Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) to explore potential options to this end.

These challenges notwithstanding, we are committed to the introduction of a voluntary scheme to enable people who have experienced a pre-24-week pregnancy loss to apply for a certificate, regardless of when the loss occurred, subject to final eligibility and verification arrangements. We will also ensure that the service, communications and certificates are available bilingually.