Inquiry to look at trauma of stillbirths, says Hunt

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS will be offered to grieving families who have to endure the trauma of stillbirth or life-changing injuries to their babies, the Health Secretary will announce.

Jeremy Hunt will also reveal he will look into enabling, for the first time, full-term stillbirths to be investigated by coroners, as he delivers a major speech focusing on maternity safety.

And in a bid to save more than 4,000 lives, he will also outline how the Government wants to halve the rate of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and severe birth-related brain injuries by 2025.

The Health Secretary will say: “The tragic death or life-changing injury of a baby is something no parent should have to bear, but one thing that can help in these agonising circumstances is getting honest answers quickly from an independent investigator.

“Too many families have been denied this in the past, adding unnecessarily to the pain of their loss. Countless mothers and fathers who have suffered like this say that the most important outcome for them is making sure lessons are learnt so that no-one else has to endure the same heartbreak.

“These important changes will help us to make that promise in the future.”

As part of the pledge to help grieving parents, the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch established earlier this year will have hundreds of cases of stillbirth, early neonatal death and severe brain injury referred to it.

The Department of Health said this NHS safety investigator, led by experts, will standardise investigations of cases of unexplained severe brain injury, intrapartum stillbirths, early neonatal deaths and maternal deaths in England, sharing findings to prevent future tragedies. Mr Hunt will also highlight his plans for the Government to work with the Welsh government and other stakeholders as it looks closely into giving coroners powers to conduct investigations into stillbirths.