Grieving families need more help to cope with loss of baby say charities

include a wide variation in the quality of bereavement rooms, with more than 40 per cent of the units having rooms situated where parents can hear other babies’ cries, which they said can be incredibly distressing.

Clea Harmer, of Sands, said: “This joint audit has found much good work being done… but there remain worrying inconsistencies across the country.”

Sands trained more than 2,600 healthcare staff in the year to April.

Bliss chief executive Caroline Lee-Davey said: “Of the 100,000 babies admitted to neonatal units across the UK each year, sadly some will never make it home.

“Neonatal death rates are starting to rise again, the Government must redouble its efforts to reduce these tragic deaths in order to achieve its ambition to halve stillbirths and neonatal deaths by 2025.

“Sadly, however, there will always be babies who do not survive due to their prematurity or the conditions they are born with.”

Dr David Evans, vice president for training and assessment at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “Baby loss is heartbreaking for all involved, including the healthcare professionals.

“We mustn’t forget that they are human too and require some level of emotional support. Today’s audit lays bare the gaps in bereavement support.”