FTWW was delighted to see its Miscarriage Campaign Lead, Jessica Evans, being invited to attend Welsh Government’s newly established Bereavement Care Working Group (BCWG), the first meeting of which was held in Cardiff on January 22nd.

This group has been created to look at the way in which support is offered to parents following the loss of a baby in Wales, including examining bereavement care for women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or the death of a young child.

The group will take into account the National Bereavement Care Pathway in order to consider how families can be better supported following the loss of a baby.

As FTWW’s report ‘Making the Case for Better Miscarriage Care in Wales’ made clear, the current provision of bereavement support following a miscarriage is extremely limited. This is having a huge impact on families in Wales and was highlighted in the first meeting of the BCWG, as were some of the gaps in care that still exist for families who go through the devastation of still birth or neonatal death.

The group went on to discuss some of the excellent support that is already available, thanks to the work of charities such as Bliss, SANDS, Tommy’s and To Wish Upon a Star. The initial work of the group will now be to gain a wide range of service-user perspectives so as to establish exactly where the gaps in service currently lie. This will allow the BCWG to make meaningful and appropriate recommendations as to how bereavement care in Wales can best be improved.

FTWW anticipates our continuing involvement in the on-going work of the BCWG, representing women across Wales as best we can. For further updates, do keep an eye on our public Facebook page, as well as this website.

To show your support for the campaign, please sign and share our petition calling for improved miscarriage services in Wales.