NHS England has announced a new ‘National pregnancy and baby loss people policy framework’ for anyone working in the NHS in England.  

NHS staff in England who experience a miscarriage will now receive up to 10 days additional paid leave, under new guidance issued to local hospitals today. 

Giving NHS staff paid time to recover after pregnancy loss is very important for those affected, knowing they will be treated with compassion and given time to grieve. It is good to see NHS England leading the way and I hope this will also encourage other employers who have not yet done so, to follow their lead and offer similar rights to their workforce. 

Clea Harmer, Sands’ Chief Executive 

All employers have an obligation to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees and this responsibility includes the wellbeing of bereaved colleagues. This includes having pregnancy and baby loss policies in place, and training for managers and staff on how to support colleagues returning to work.  

Sands is committed to working with employers to remove barriers for colleagues returning to work following pregnancy or baby loss.  

The charity offers bereavement in the workplace training for any employer, and this is free for small and medium sized enterprises thanks to government funding. 

Whilst some companies are now introducing periods of leave for all women who have experienced a miscarriage, we want all employees, including partners and those with a surrogate, to be entitled to a minimum two weeks leave on full pay. 

How the NHS is supporting its workforce 

The new NHS England policy aims to provide the support people need following pregnancy loss, and to help managers and colleagues know how to support people affected, with kindness and understanding.  

NHS England's new pregnancy and baby loss policy will also ask trusts to give staff paid time off to attend appointments, scans and tests, plus for any mental-health interventions. 

Staff returning to work after a miscarriage will also be given specialist support by their NHS trust or baby loss charities, such as Sands. 

Find out more about paid leave for NHS staff experiencing pregnancy loss. 

Sands is here to support anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby, however recently or longer ago, for as long as they need this.