Miscarriage pledgeurge
East Kilbride’s MSP is backing calls urging NHS Lanarkshire to take a pledge and improve the support available for parents who experience miscarriage.
By signing the Miscarriage Association’s Pregnancy Loss Pledge, employers commit to a higher pregnancy loss standard to ensure that employees going through what can be a very difficult or traumatic time get the support and time off they need.
SNP MSP Collette Stevenson’s colleague Angela Crawley, the MP for Lanark and Hamilton East, has written to all of Scotland’s health boards urging them to take the pledge.
Many parents have highlighted that due to the stigma associated with miscarriage and the lack of support available, they often feel they are unable to grieve adequately.
Through the Pregnancy Loss Pledge, the Miscarriage Association aims to improve support for parents who experience miscarriage by encouraging supportive work environments where employers show empathy and understanding towards people and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss.
Ms Stevenson said: “The Pregnancy Loss Pledge is a fantastic initiative by the Miscarriage Association which improves support for parents who experience miscarriage.
“Miscarriage is not an illness so parents should not be forced to take sick leave to grieve their loss.
“I am backing the campaign to improve support for parents who experience miscarriage and I repeat calls already made for NHS Lanarkshire to take the Pregnancy Loss Pledge.”
Ms Crawley has been campaigning to have paid miscarriage leave introduced at Westminster for parents who experience miscarriage before 24 weeks.
Her Private Members’ Bill, which would have seen a statutory right for three days’ paid leave for parents who experience miscarriage introduced, fell at its second reading last week.
As a result of a campaign by Ms Crawley to get local authorities in Scotland to sign up, 10 councils have improved support for their employees and taken the pledge.
The Lanark and Hamilton East MP added: “Hundreds of businesses, big and small, have already signed up which means thousands of workers across the UK know that they will be supported by their employer should they experience miscarriage.
“I would encourage every health board in Scotland to take the Pregnancy Loss Pledge to ensure that their employees are supported through what can be an incredibly tough time both mentally and physically.
“Not only will this enhance their current policies for staff who experience bereavement but they will also be doing their bit in tackling the stigma associated with miscarriage.”
NHS Lanarkshire has been contacted for comment.