The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
MP proposes stillbirth law change
In November 2017 then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured) said he wanted to see inquests for babies who die before birth. Currently the Ministry of Justice, with support from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), is leading a review on whether the law should be changed to permit coroners to investigate stillbirths. A DHSC spokesperson said the country is on track to halve the rate of stillbirths by 2025.
He added: “Every loss of a child is a tragedy. We want the NHS to be the safest place in the world to have a baby and it is testament to the hard work of our wonderful NHS maternity staff that the stillbirth rate is the lowest on record.” A Private Member’s Bill by Conservative MP Tim Loughton is due to return to the House of Commons tomorrow to allow for amendments made by the House of the Lords to be considered.
The bill, if approved, would require the Secretary of State to prepare a report on whether, and if so how, the law ought to be changed to enable or require coroners to investigate stillbirths. After the report has been published, the Lord Chancellor would be able to amend a previous act to allow or force coroners to conduct investigations into stillbirths, and specify the circumstances in which those investigations would take place. Miscarriage and stillbirth charity Tommy’s said 3,200 babies were stillborn in 2017 in the UK, at a rate of 4.2 stillbirths for every 1,000 births.