On 14 January the government set out their response to the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee report, published in November 2024. 

It is good to see the government make positive commitments to tackling inequality in maternal and neonatal outcomes along with recognition of systemic and nationwide issues in maternity services.  

Our #EndInequalityInBabyLoss campaign, is calling on the government to eliminate inequalities by ethnicity in baby loss. To achieve this, the government must renew the national ambitions to reduce baby deaths, with specific targets to end inequality.  

Over 2,500 people signed an open letter from bereaved parents to the government and over 50 MPs attended a recent parliamentary event to find out more about the campaign and pledge their support. Our Chief Executive, Clea Harmer, also gave evidence to the preterm birth committee.  

This week’s response from the government indicated that they have heard us loud and clear. They confirmed they are currently considering what ambitions or targets should be set and that these will include a focus on tackling inequalities.  

This is amazing news. But we will not stop campaigning until we see an end to all inequalities in baby loss. 

We know the current scale of baby loss is not inevitable. The Sands and Tommys Joint Policy Unit have found that in 2022-23, 1 in 5 baby deaths may have been prevented with better care which equates to 800 babies.  

In our response to the NHS 10-year plan consultation, we told the government and NHS England they must move away from focusing on individual units which are found to be failing and set out a comprehensive national approach that improves safety in all maternity units across England. 

We welcome that the government recognises that failures identified in recent maternity reviews and investigations are not isolated incidents, but part of a wider issue experienced across maternity and neonatal services.   

They must now set out urgently what action they will take to address this as part of the new 10-year plan for the NHS.  

If you want to help influence that plan, you can ensure your voice is heard by the government by answering our six simple questions and sharing your experiences and ideas for change.