More support for all involved in bereavement care

More support is needed for all involved in bereavement care – this was the findings from this year’s joint annual conference on uncertainty and loss in maternity and neonatal care. The conference, held by the Royal College of Midwives, Sands and Bliss charities, was the seventh of it’s kind and took place on Thursday 17th September.

Delegates at the conference heard from professionals and parents, who shared research, training and stories on a range of topics around neonatal loss.

RCM president Lesley Page said:

“One of the saddest events of human life is to lose a child, and while it is devastating for the parent, it is also devastating for the staff involved.’

The conference also updated delegates on the RCOG’s Each Baby Counts programme, as well as information on the Sands’ new bereavement care training. Panel discussions also took place, with meeting cultural needs being highlighted as an essential tool for supporting parents and hospital staff when dealing with the loss of a baby.

The conference concluded that more support was needed for both family and staff and that bereavement support services were vital to ensure the wellbeing of all involved.

For more details on next year’s conference, please visit the RCM events page.

See the RCM write-up here