• Sands & Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit

    Together, the charities Sands & Tommy’s have formed a Joint Policy Unit. 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.

Our Mission

Our mission is to secure policy change that will reduce rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth and neonatal death, and to work to eliminate inequalities in these outcomes.

Latest Developments

Woman sat on hospital bed in a gown looking sad

Is reproductive health and childbirth research over-funded? How pregnancy loss is ignored by disability-adjusted life years

In response to the claim that reproductive health and childbirth research receives a higher proportion of research funding than the corresponding burden of disease, we explore the limitations of metrics which compare health conditions and how they ignore the impact of pregnancy loss.
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An image of a premature newborn baby in a hospital incubator

Investment in maternity and neonatal services in Wales

Investment in maternity and neonatal services has not kept up with the rate of inflation over recent years, and spending in this area has remained a relatively small proportion of overall spending on healthcare in Wales. More investment is needed to reduce rates of stillbirth and neonatal death, tackle inequalities and support improvements in the safety and quality of services.
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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.
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© Copyright - Sands & Tommy's Joint Policy Unit

Sands Charity registration number 299679. Company Limited by Guarantee Number 2212082 • Scottish Charity Registration Number SC042789 •
Tommy's Charity registration number 1060508. Company Limited by Guarantee Number 3266897 • Scottish Charity Registration Number SC039280 •
Sands and Tommy’s also operate in Northern Ireland