About Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit
In 2022, the charities Sands and Tommy’s came together to form a Joint Policy Unit. Together we are focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes.
For more information about the Joint Policy Unit, please contact: Robert Wilson, Head of the Joint Policy Unit: robert.wilson@sands.org.uk
Joint Policy Unit response to the 10 year health plan consultation
The Joint Policy Unit has responded to the Change NHS consultation, which will inform a new 10 year plan for the NHS in England. We’re calling on the plan to set new ambitions to reduce baby loss, and have highlighted a range of areas where change is required to make progress
Read our response to the consultation.
Interpreting and translation services in maternity and neonatal care
Reports and reviews have highlighted issues with the use and quality of interpreting and translation services in maternity and neonatal care, contributing to poor outcomes and avoidable harm.
We have collated and synthesised these issues, with a focus on interpreting services, and have put forward considerations for policymakers. We want to understand how we can improve the availability, consistency and quality of interpreting and translation services in maternity and neonatal care.
Read more in our briefing document.
Towards the best: Future maternity safety ambitions to save more babies' lives
The National Maternity Safety Ambitions - which aim to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries and reduce the rate of preterm births from 8% to 6% - expire in 2025.
The Sands & Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit is focused on saving babies’ lives. As we near the expiry date of the ambitions, we have considered what appropriate future ambitions for reducing perinatal mortality and preterm birth could look like. We propose that the deadline for future ambitions is 2035 to align with the 10 Year Plan for the NHS in England which will be published in 2025.
Download Future maternity safety ambitions to save more babies' lives
Counting miscarriages in the UK
Unlike stillbirths and neonatal deaths, the number of miscarriages which occur each year in the UK are not measured or reported. While there are no UK-wide data on miscarriage, some miscarriage-related data are collected across the four nations. However, data are often limited to the hospital setting and inconsistent records, definitions and digital systems makes collation challenging, even before integrating other areas of the health system, such as primary care.
Work is underway in each of the devolved nations to consider how to collect data on miscarriage going forward. This briefing note outlines what data are currently available in each nation, what improvement work is underway and what further action is required.
Saving babies' lives 2024
This is the second Saving Babies’ Lives Progress report published by the Joint Policy Unit. The report summarises the latest data and shares updates on work that the Joint Policy Unit has delivered over the past year.
Download the summary report
Download the full report
Download the infographic
Health is a devolved matter, with policies, funding and the healthcare system overseen by devolved governments in each of the four nations. The main report includes mortality data from across the UK but much of the data on the health system and the systemic issues they face are reported separately. In 2024, alongside the main report we explore data for each nation in tailored briefings, with a focus on recommendations for policy makers in each nation:
Download the Northern Ireland briefing
Download the Scotland Briefing
Download the Wales briefing
Information and advice given on contacting maternity triage in early labour
Previous reports have identified maternity triage as an area of concern into the safety of maternity services. Delays in admitting women and birthing people to hospital has prevented them from receiving appropriate care and has contributed to poor outcomes. Reports have also shown inconsistencies in advice when contacting triage, with women and birthing people’s concerns not being heard or addressed.
We reviewed 35 sources of information found on NHS Trust websites under their guidance for contacting triage in early labour to assess consistency in advice.
Our analysis found concerning levels of variation across topics and language encouraging women and birthing people to stay at home, without a clear evidence base. It is vital that services provide consistent guidance around contacting triage, as well as clear information about the care people are entitled to.
Read Joint Policy Unit's Ceilidh Al Amoodi's article explaining why this is an area of concern.