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NHS Resolution- the Early Notification Scheme

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NHS Resolution- the Early Notification Scheme

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Today we have published an animation designed to explain what our Early Notification Scheme does.

As part of our second strategic objective, to collaborate to improve maternity outcomes, and ongoing consideration for how the EN scheme should be developed, we've been working closely with our Maternity Voices Advisory Group and a group of parents via PEEPS-HIE to improve our direct communication with families and ensure consistent contact with our Family Liaison team once a case is accepted onto our Early Notification Scheme.

The Early Notification Maternity Voices Advisory Group (MVAG) was established to provide external stakeholders, in particular families and their representatives, with a forum through which they can advise and support future service developments within the Early Notification Scheme.

This animation was co-designed with MVAG and a group of parents via PEEPS-HIE and aims to be clear, concise and understandable for any families who might have experienced an incident of maternity harm and have been accepted onto the EN Scheme or are seeking to understand more about what the scheme does.

We also hope it will act as an important signpost for further support for families and where they can contact our internal teams for more information if needed. We aim to create a further animation explaining the liability investigation in more detail in the near future.

This animation was co-produced with our Maternity Voices Advisory Group, and a group of parents within the EN scheme. I am extremely appreciative and would like to extend thanks to members of MVAG and especially to the parents who have shared with us their lived experience of understanding and navigating processes when a baby is diagnosed as having a brain injury, and have provided crucial feedback to develop this resource, especially during such a challenging time. This input has been instrumental in supporting us to develop an animation that we hope will help other families begin to navigate the Early Notification Scheme process.
Annette Anderson, Head of Early Notification Clinical team at NHS Resolution

The Early Notification (EN) Scheme is a key initiative towards achieving the delivery of safer maternity care, providing an early and more rapid, caring response to families in cases of severe harm, and supporting a learning culture. We appreciate that the claims process can be very distressing for families. We hope this animation will help begin to simplify the Early Notification Scheme process and explain to families the role of NHS Resolution and the early investigation process, whilst also signposting families to other sources of information and support should they need it.
Sangita Bodalia, Head of Early Notification Legal team at NHS Resolution

My role as the Family Liaison and Mediation Lead at NHS Resolution is to help provide a consistent point of contact for families who, sadly, may come into contact with the Early Notification Scheme. I hope that this animation will act as an important tool. Families can always reach out to our team for more information about the Early Notification Scheme if they need to.
Elizabeth Pells, Early Notification Family Liaison and Mediation Lead at NHS Resolution

The Early Notification Scheme is hugely important in clinical negligence and a greater understanding of how it operates will only benefit those impacted by birth injury. This animation will help achieve that by taking the viewer through a journey of how the scheme operates as well as explaining some of the legal process and, when and how legal advice can be obtained. By working collaboratively with family groups in the production of this animation NHS Resolution will help to ensure that the families of those impacted by such difficult circumstances surrounding labour and birth know how the scheme operates and are signposted to organisations that can help.
Majid Hassan, Partner at Capsticks LLP and member of the Maternity Voices Advisory Group

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An introduction to the Early Notification Scheme for families - NHS Resolution

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Today we have published an animation designed to explain what our Early Notification Scheme does. As part of our second strategic objective, to collaborate to improve maternity outcomes, and ongoing consideration for how the EN scheme should be developed, we've been working closely with our ...

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The Children's Funeral Fund for England can help to pay for some of the costs of a funeral for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy.

It is not means-tested: what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.

The burial or cremation must take place in England.

What the fund covers

The Children's Funeral Fund for England can help pay for the:

burial fees

cremation fees, including the cost of a doctor's certificate

coffin, shroud or casket (up to a cost of £300)

If you have other funeral expenses, you might be able to apply for Funeral Expenses Payment to cover them. You or your partner must be getting certain benefits - check if you're eligible for Funeral Expenses Payment.

How claiming works

The fees for the burial or cremation can be claimed directly by the burial or cremation provider - you should not be charged. How to claim for some other expenses (for example, the coffin) depends on if you are using a funeral director or not.

Claims must be made within 6 months of the funeral.

If you are using a funeral director

You do not need to submit any claims yourself.

The burial or cremation provider can claim for the fees of a burial or cremation. The money will be paid directly to them.

Your funeral director can claim for some other funeral expenses (for example, the coffin). The money will be paid directly to them.

If you are not using a funeral director

The burial or cremation provider can claim for the fees of a burial or cremation. The money will be paid directly to them.

Claim funeral costs online

You can claim for some other funeral expenses (for example, the coffin) online.

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Support for child funeral costs (Children's Funeral Fund for England)

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How to apply to the Children's Funeral Fund for help paying for a funeral for a child under 18

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Maternity advocacy in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire

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Maternity advocacy in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire

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If during your maternity or neonatal care in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, you have experienced an adverse outcome you can go to a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate for help.

Recent reports and inquiries into maternity and neonatal care identify a range of adverse outcomes that can occur during care. During the initial pilot phase, the MNISA might be able to support you if you have experienced any of the following adverse outcomes:

Your baby died before they were born, after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Your baby died in the first 28 days of life.

The baby's mother or birthing parent died within a year of the birth.

You had an unexpected or unplanned hysterectomy (removal of your womb), within 6 weeks of giving birth.

You had care in the critical or intensive care unit and this wasn't planned.

Your baby was diagnosed with a brain injury or it was thought your baby might have a brain injury.

If you have experienced any of these outcomes, your advocate is here for you and your family and can:

Help and support you and your family to be listened to and heard by your maternity and neonatal care providers.

Attend meetings with you.

Support you through the maternity and neonatal healthcare system to help you find understand what happened in your care.

Support you through investigation and complaints processes.

You do not need to be sure if there were mistakes or negligence in the mother or baby's care to ask for support. If the advocate is not best placed to support you as part of their role, they will signpost you to other support services available.

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Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate The Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (also referred to as Maternity and Neonatal ISA or MNISA) is a new senior role being piloted to support women, birthing people and families in England. This follows the Immediate and Essential Actions identified in the...

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How can a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate support me?

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How can a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate support me?

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If you have experienced an adverse outcome, your advocate is here for you and your family and can:

·       Support you through the maternity and neonatal healthcare system to help you understand what happened in your care.

·       Help and support you and your family to be listened to and heard by your maternity and neonatal care providers.

·       Help you to prepare for and attend meetings with you.

·       Support you through investigation and complaints processes.

A Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate may not be best placed to help you if:

·       All your avenues of investigation or complaint have been concluded.

·       Your concerns are solely about your birth choices rather than from an adverse outcome.

·       You have any general queries related to maternity and neonatal services.

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How is a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate independent?

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How is a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate independent?

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Your Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate is independent from the trust that provided your care. They report to the local Integrated Care Board, which is responsible for the provision of all care in your area.

Everything you say to your Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate is confidential unless you ask or agree with them to share it with others. The only exception to this is if they have a safeguarding concern about you, or your family’s welfare or you share something that would pose a risk to you or another member of public.

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Babies cry- you can cope.

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Babies cry, you can cope When babies cry it can be stressful and overwhelming. Help is out there and all you need to do is ask. Latest news Testimonials

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A leading UK charity for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. Offering financial, emotional and practical support to families.

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We are here to make sure that the 99,000 seriously ill children and their families across the UK can make the most of every moment they have together, whether that's for years, months or only hours.

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Get help by phone if you’re an asylum applicant or refugee and you need advice about the asylum process or adapting to life in the UK.

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Helplines for asylum applicants and refugees - telephone numbers and opening hours

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The 'Guide to coroner services' is intended for bereaved people and others who may be affected by a coroner investigation or are attending a coroner’s inquest.

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The ‘Guide to coroner services’ is intended for bereaved people and others who may be affected by a coroner investigation or are attending a coroner’s inquest.

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Reporting a death, wills, probate and Inheritance Tax.

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We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

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Reporting a death, wills, probate and Inheritance Tax

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The Patients Association is a charity dedicated to supporting the rights and interests of all patients and their families, offering advice and support to patients and campaigning to improve health and social care for all

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Comprehensive Guide to NHS Complaints in England

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Comprehensive Guide to NHS Complaints in England

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Maternity and Neonatal Safety Investigations (MNSI) For Families

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Maternity and Neonatal Safety Investigations (MNSI) For Families

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We're working on our website. Please tell us if you spot an issue: Enquiries@mnsi.org.uk.

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Understanding HSIB and ENS Birth Investigations

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Understanding HSIB and ENS Birth Investigations

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Introducing the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF): A framework for learning

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PSIRF-Patient Safety Incident Response Framework

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PSIRF-Patient Safety Incident Response Framework

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The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out the NHS’s approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety.

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The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out the NHS's approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety.

Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety, NHS England - "The introduction of this framework represents a significant shift in the way the NHS responds to patient safety incidents, increasing focus on understanding how incidents happen - including the factors which contribute to them."

Contents

Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, MP - "The new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework is very welcome. It is great to see the involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents at its heart and the emphasis on learning and improvement are vital if we are to reduce avoidable harm across the NHS."

A new approach to responding to patient safety incidents

The PSIRF will replace the current Serious Incident Framework (2015).

The framework represents a significant shift in the way the NHS responds to patient safety incidents and is a major step towards establishing a safety management system across the NHS. It is a key part of the NHS patient safety strategy.

The PSIRF supports the development and maintenance of an effective patient safety incident response system that integrates four key aims:

Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents

Application of a range of system-based approached to learning from patient safety incidents

Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents

Supportive oversight focused on strengthening response system functioning and improvement

Who does PSIRF apply to?

The PSIRF is a contractual requirement under the NHS Standard Contract and as such is mandatory for services provided under that contract, including acute, ambulance, mental health, and community healthcare providers. This includes maternity and all specialised services. Primary care providers may also wish to adopt PSIRF, but it is not a requirement at this stage. Further exploration is required to ensure successful implementation of the PSIRF approaches within primary care.

Dr Sean O'Kelly, Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services, Care Quality Commission - "We welcome the publication of NHS England's new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and the focus it places on effective learning and compassionate, meaningful engagement with those affected when incidents occur. Through our monitoring and inspection we have seen how the existence of a strong organisational safety culture, where the views of staff and patients are listened to and acted on, and learning is prioritised is essential to good practice in responding when things go wrong."

Saffron Cordery, Interim Chief Executive, NHS Providers - "We welcome this framework as a key tool to ensure that investigation processes and responses by trusts lead to effective learning and improvement, contributing to better patient safety and outcomes - the top priority of trust leaders."

PSIRF podcasts

We are continuing to record a series of podcasts to help introduce PSIRF and support providers to prepare for its implementation. Links to these podcasts are listed below, in chronological order from newest to oldest:

Early adopters share their experiences

In the videos below early adopters describe their experience of implementing PSIRF

Lucy Winstanley, Head of Patient Safety and Quality, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Megan Pontin, Patient Safety Incident Investigator, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Saranna Burges, Director for Patent Safety and Quality, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Lisa Falconer, Head of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety, NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB

Preparing for PSIRF

Implementation of PSIRF will not be achieved by a change in policy alone, and it cannot be implemented in days or weeks as it requires work to design a new set of systems and processes. To help organisations prepare to transition to PSIRF we have developed a preparation guide to support those leading PSIRF implementation across the NHS.

Organisations are expected to transition to PSIRF within 12 months of its publication, and transition should be completed by Autumn 2023. The preparation guide breaks PSIRF preparation into six phases to ease transition and provide detail around discrete activities that will set strong foundations for implementing the framework.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth, Interim Chief Investigator at the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) - "We welcome the publication of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), a significant development in the patient safety landscape in England. PSIRF reflects the key principle that guides our national patient safety investigations - a focus on understanding how incidents happen rather than attributing blame or liability - and applies this to local investigations. As well as co-authoring the supporting guidance around involving patients, families and staff, HSIB has developed a range of training courses to help NHS trusts put PSIRF into practice."

Supporting documents

The PSIRF is supported by further detail provided in four guidance documents:

Engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a patient safety incident

Guide to responding proportionately to patient safety incidents

Oversight roles and responsibilities specification

Patient safety incident response standards

We have also produced templates to guide organisations through the development of their patient safety incident response policy and patient safety incident response plan

Engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a patient safety incident

Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents is central to PSIRF.

Please visit our Engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a patient safety incident webpage for further information.

Learning response toolkit

The PSIRF promotes a range of system-based approaches for learning from patient safety incidents. Organisations are encouraged to use the national tools and guides available in our learning response toolkit.

The national tools have been developed in collaboration with human factors experts and the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, who lead the way in modern healthcare safety investigation methodology. They have been tested with representative end users whose feedback has been instrumental in informing the design.

We will continue to review and evaluate the design of the Patient Safety Incident Investigation report template.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact patientsafety.enquiries@nhs.net

Join our PSIRF FutureNHS workspace

Further resources (including webinars, podcasts and additional tools) to support providers to prepare, transition and work under PSIRF will be made available throughout 22/23 via our PSIRF FutureNHS workspace. This workspace is part of the NHS Patient Safety workspace

We will also use this workspace to communicate with staff and local stakeholders via the message board. This workspace is available for anyone to join (you don't need an NHS email). If you're not a member and would like to join please email NHSps-manager@future.nhs.uk.

Upcoming PSIRF webinars

To continue to support organisations as PSIRF goes live, we are hosting a further series of webinars up to September 2024, to share experiences and learnings as the framework is operationalised.

Register via the links below:

Developing PSIRF

Reports by the Public Administration Select Committee in March 2015; the Government's response in July 2015; the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report in December 2015; the CQC's report in June 2016, and the CQC's report in Dec 2016 all identified shortcomings in the way patient safety incidents are investigated and learned from.

In response to these reports, in 2018 we conducted a widespread engagement exercise around the future of NHS patient safety investigation to gather thoughts and feedback to support us to develop the PSIRF to replace the existing Serious Incident Framework.

The PSIRF was developed based on the feedback received through our The future of NHS patient safety investigation engagement activity.

Published in March 2020 the Introductory PSIRF was tested by 24 early adopters (including 17 provider organisations alongside their commissioners and regional leads) for two years. The early adopter programme was independently evaluated and alongside feedback from our early adopters has informed the development of the PSIRF (2022).

The evaluation report is available on our FutureNHS workspace.

List of early adopters

Listed by region, we would like to thank the following early adopter organisations that have been instrumental in the development of the final version of the PSIRF:

East

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICS

London

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

North West London Collaboration of ICSs

Midlands

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Derbyshire Health United

University Hospital Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICS

National

Care UK (Independent provider of healthcare in prisons)

North East and Yorkshire

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

NHS Leeds ICS

North West

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

NHS East Lancashire

South East

Isle of Wight NHS Trust

NHS Isle of Wight

South West

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

North Bristol NHS Trust

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

NHS Kernow

Get in touch

If you would like to get in touch, please contact Patientsafety.enquiries@nhs.net.

Alternatively, you can use the PSIRF discussion board on our FutureNHS platform.

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Patient Safety Incident Response Framework

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The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out the NHS's approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety.

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Welcome to our Helpline for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage Women

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Welcome to our Helpline for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage Women

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Are you a Black or Black Mixed-Heritage pregnant woman or birthing person living in the UK? Would you like specialist support from a Tommy’s Midwife during your pregnancy? Book a 1:1 call now.

Our Specialist Support Helpline provides extra care for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women and birthing people in the UK. We know that Black women experience higher risks of complications during pregnancy, which is why we are offering extra support.

We want you to feel empowered and in control during your pregnancy.

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Who is my Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate?

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Who is my Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate?

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The Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire is Sascha Webb.

Sascha has worked in Public Health and has a background in Midwifery and Health Visiting. This means she really knows the maternity and neonatal systems and can help you to understand and navigate them too.

Sascha is passionate about supporting women, birthing people and families, and will help you to feel listened to and heard by those who have provided your care.

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Who can have support from a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate?

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Who can have support from a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate?

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If during your maternity or neonatal care in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon or Wiltshire, you have experienced an adverse outcome, you can go to your Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate for help, whether this is something that happened recently or some time ago.

Recent reports and inquiries into maternity and neonatal care identify a range of adverse outcomes that can occur during care. During the pilot phase, the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate might be able to support you if you have experienced any of the following adverse outcomes:

·       Your baby died before they were born after 24 weeks of your pregnancy.

·       Your baby died in the days or weeks after they were born.

·       Your baby was diagnosed with a brain injury or a brain injury was suspected.

·       The baby’s mother/ birthing parent died within a year of the birth.

·       You had an unexpected or unplanned hysterectomy (removal of your womb) within 6 weeks of giving birth.

·       You spent time in the critical or intensive care unit and this wasn't planned.

You do not need to be sure if there were mistakes or negligence in the mother, birthing person or baby’s care to ask for support. If the advocate is not best placed to support you as part of their role, they will signpost you to other support services available.

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What is a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate?

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What is a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate?

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The Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (also referred to as Maternity and Neonatal ISA or MNISA) is a new senior role being piloted to support women, birthing people and their families in England. It has been created as a result of listening to feedback from families involved in maternity and neonatal investigations.

The role was developed by NHS England working alongside people who have experienced adverse outcomes and NHS staff.

Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocates receive specialist training to support families navigating some of the complex investigation processes which follow an adverse outcome such as a significant health complication or bereavement. They are also able to (with your permission and without using your name) share your feedback, compliments and concerns to ensure that they are listened to, heard and used to shape and improve care for future women, birthing people, babies and families.

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Stillbirth-what happens when your unborn baby dies

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Stillbirth-what happens when your unborn baby dies

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Your baby's wellbeing will be monitored during your antenatal appointments, so any problems will usually be picked up before labour starts.

Confirming the baby has died

If it's suspected your baby may have died, a midwife or doctor might initially listen for the baby's heartbeat with a handheld Doppler device. You'll also be offered an ultrasound scan to check your baby's heartbeat.

Sometimes a mother may still feel her baby moving after the death has been confirmed. This can happen when the mother changes position. In this case, the mother may be offered another ultrasound scan.

Finding out your baby has died is devastating. You should be offered support and have your options explained to you. If you're alone in hospital, ask the staff to contact someone close to you to come in and be with you.

Before the birth, a person with skills and experience with parents who have lost a baby should be available to talk with you about whether you would like to see a photograph of your baby, have a memento such as a lock of hair, or see or hold your baby.

Giving birth if your baby has died

If a woman's baby dies before labour starts, she will usually be offered medicine to help induce labour. This is safer for the mother than having a caesarean section.

If there's no medical reason for the baby to be born straightaway, it may be possible to wait for labour to begin naturally. This decision doesn't usually need to be made immediately, and it may be possible to go home for a day or two first.

In some cases, medicine that prepares a woman's body for the induction process may be recommended. This medicine can take up to 48 hours to work.

Natural labour

While waiting for labour to begin naturally, regular blood tests are needed after 48 hours.

Waiting for natural labour increases the chance of the baby deteriorating in the womb. This can affect how the baby looks when she or he is born and can make it more difficult to find out what caused the death.

Induced labour

If the health of the mother is at risk, labour is nearly always induced using medicine. This may be done immediately if:

the mother has severe pre-eclampsia

the mother has a serious infection

the bag of water around the baby (the amniotic sac) has broken

Labour can be induced by inserting a pessary tablet or gel into the vagina, or by swallowing a tablet. Sometimes, medicine is given through a drip into a vein in the arm.

After the baby is stillborn

After a stillbirth, many parents want to see and hold their baby. It's entirely up to you whether you wish to do so. You'll be given some quiet time with your baby if this is what you want.

You can also take photographs of your baby and collect mementos, such as a lock of hair, foot prints or hand prints, or the blanket your baby was wrapped in at birth.

If you're not sure whether you want to take any mementos of your baby home, it's usually possible for them to be stored with your hospital records. If your hospital doesn't keep paper records, you may be given these mementos in a sealed envelope to store at home. This means you'll be able to look at them if you ever decide you want to.

You may also want to name your baby. But not everyone does this and it's entirely your choice.

Decisions about what to do after a stillbirth are very personal, and there's no right or wrong way to respond.

Breast milk

After a stillbirth, your body may start producing breast milk, which can cause discomfort and distress. Medicines (dopamine agonists) can stop your breasts producing milk. They cause few side effects and may also help you feel better emotionally, but they aren't suitable if you have pre-eclampsia.

Some mothers prefer to let their milk supply dry up without taking medicine. Your doctor or midwife can discuss your options with you.

Finding the cause

You'll be offered tests to find the cause of the stillbirth. You don't need to have these, but the results may help to avoid problems in any future pregnancies.

The tests you're offered may include:

blood tests - these can show whether the mother has pre-eclampsia, obstetric cholestasis or, rarely, diabetes

specialist examination of the umbilical cord, membranes and placenta - the tissues that attach you to your baby and support your baby in pregnancy

testing for infection - a sample of urine, blood or cells from the vagina or cervix (neck of the womb) can be tested

thyroid function test - to see whether the mother has a condition that affects her thyroid gland

genetic tests - usually carried out on a small sample of umbilical cord, to determine whether your baby had problems such as Down's syndrome

More in-depth tests can also be carried out on your baby to try to establish the cause of death or whether there are any conditions that might have contributed to it. This is called a post-mortem.

Post-mortem

A post-mortem is an examination of your baby's body. The examination can provide more information about why your baby died, which may be particularly important if you plan to become pregnant in the future.

A post-mortem can't go ahead without your written permission (consent), and you'll be asked if you want your baby to have one. The procedure can involve examining your baby's organs in detail, looking at blood and tissue samples, and carrying out genetic testing to see whether your baby had a genetic disease.

The healthcare professional asking for your permission should explain the different options to help you decide whether you want your baby to have a post-mortem.

Follow-up care

You'll usually have a follow-up appointment a few weeks after you leave hospital to check your health, and discuss the post-mortem and test results (if carried out).

This appointment is also an opportunity to talk with your doctor about possible future pregnancies. Before attending your follow-up appointment, you may find it helpful to write down any questions you have for your doctor.

Bereavement support

A stillbirth can be emotionally traumatic for both parents, as well as for other family members. Help and support is available.

You may be introduced to a bereavement support officer or a bereavement midwife. They usually work in hospitals or for the local council. They can help with any paperwork that needs to be completed and explain choices you can make about your baby's funeral. They'll also act as a point of contact for other healthcare professionals.

Many people experience feelings of guilt or anxiety following the loss of their baby. Some parents experience depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

You may find it helpful to discuss your feelings with your GP, community midwife or health visitor, or other parents who have lost a baby. Read more about bereavement and dealing with loss.

Support groups

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, provides support for anyone affected by the death of a baby. You can:

call the Sands confidential helpline on 0808 164 3332 - 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday, plus 6pm to 9pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

email helpline@uk-sands.org

There are many other self-help groups in the UK for bereaved parents and their families. You can search for bereavement support services in your area.

These groups are usually run by healthcare professionals, such as baby-loss support workers or specialist midwives, and parents who have experienced stillbirth.

Some support groups are for women whose stillbirth has a specific cause. For example:

Registering a stillbirth

By law, stillborn babies have to be formally registered. In England and Wales, this must be done within 42 days of your baby's birth, within 21 days in Scotland.

You don't have to register a stillbirth in Northern Ireland, but you can if you want to as long as it's within a year of the birth.

GOV.UK has more information about registering a stillbirth.

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Stillbirth - What happens if your unborn baby dies

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Read about what happens after stillbirth, finding the cause of death and the support available to you and your family.

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After having a hysterectomy, you may wake up feeling tired and in some pain. This is normal after this type of surgery and you will be given painkillers to help reduce any pain.

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Absolutely brilliant service. I did not feel judged, I felt supported. I did not feel embarrassed, I felt listened to and put at ease with my decision. Thank you for making the whole process so much easier. Thank you! Please keep up this fabulous work for all the women and ladies who need your help!

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Abortion clinics, Information, Advice and Treatment | BPAS

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The UK's leading provider of abortion services caring for women for over 50 years. BPAS has clinics and sexual health centres in England, Wales and Scotland.

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Please select the service you would like to book:

Supporting someone accessing abortion care

If someone close to you is considering or having an abortion, there are many ways to offer your support.

Whether you're a partner, family member or friend, you can be there to listen, support and offer reassurance to someone accessing abortion services. On this page, we share our top tips on how to support someone during this time.

The decision to end a pregnancy lies with the person accessing care, but many people are helped through their experience by someone close to them, to talk to and share their thoughts and feelings with.

You can also offer practical support, such as going through abortion information together, reminding them about questions they might want to ask a healthcare professional, and supporting them after their treatment.

How to support someone accessing abortion care

If someone close to you is considering or having an abortion, there are many ways you can show your support. You may be unsure of exactly how to help, but just being there can make a big difference. Find our top tips on how to support someone accessing abortion care below.

Create space and don't be judgemental

Sharing an abortion experience can be nerve-wracking. If there is someone in your life who feels comfortable enough to talk to you about their experience, allow them to share their thoughts and feelings freely.

Have open and honest conversations

Open and honest conversations about abortion help women and pregnant people feel informed, educated and supported when it comes to making their own choices about their own bodies. Let your friend or relative share their hopes, fears or worries with you.

Try not to offer advice that hasn't been asked for

Abortion is a very individual experience. Some people feel fine whereas others may feel confusion or sadness. Don't try to tell the person who is sharing their experience what to think, do, feel or how to act. It's hard to understand what they're going through and what works for one person might not work for someone else.

Offer to attend an appointment with them

Some people may prefer to attend appointments by themselves but offering to go with your friend or relative shows that you support their choices and lets them know that they aren't alone, even if they decline.

Our clients can attend their appointment with one adult; however they will need to wait in the waiting area during your appointment.

Abortion is not something to be ashamed of, but it is important to respect people's privacy and keep the information they have told you to yourself. It is up to them when, how, and if they choose to talk about their experience.

Support them following their treatment

One practical way you can support someone accessing abortion care is to help them following their treatment. For example, you might want to ask your friend, partner or family member if they'd like someone to stay with them for a few hours following their treatment, or be there for them when they take the abortion pills (if they are accessing at-home abortion care).

You can find more information about abortion aftercare here: abortion aftercare and recovery.

Talking about abortion in a non-stigmatising way

The way we talk about abortion is important. Often, misconceptions surrounding abortion can be furthered by the language we use, and considering the way we talk about abortion can help to reduce stigma.

Click on the button to find a useful guide from the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) on how to talk about abortion in a non-stigmatising way.

More information about abortion

Visit the pages below to learn more about abortion, read abortion stories from our clients and see some common myths and facts about abortion.

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Advice for partners, family and friends - MSI Reproductive Choices UK

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If you're a partner, friend or family member of someone having an abortion, here's some advice on how you can support them.

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The Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme supports families before and after the birth of their new baby.

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Critical Illness Recovery- The Sepsis Trust

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Critical Illness Recovery- The Sepsis Trust

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HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE YOU TO RECOVER? Open

Recovery will commonly involve your whole body. Many people encounter new physical, cognitive, psychological and emotional problems during their recovery. It is normal to go through a period of recovery and the majority of people will eventually make a full recovery.

Recovery time varies for each person. Generally, it can take a few weeks to a few months, but for some people it can take longer. Some people have very few or no problems following critical illness

There are contributing factors than can influence recovery such as age, medical history and length of hospital stay

For those people who have suffered significant organ damage, recovery can take time and be complex, often involving ongoing treatment. If you have suffered organ damage and/or had an amputation, further specific information will be provided to you by your healthcare providers

The recovery period following COVID-19 is still largely unknown, but is likely to have similarities to the recovery from sepsis

WHY DID YOU NEED CRITICAL CARE? Open

Critical Care is where the most unwell patients in a hospital are treated.

In Critical Care:

you can be carefully watched and monitored, including checking your pulse; blood pressure; breathing rate; oxygen levels; how much liquid you take in and how much you urinate. These checks are all very important because staff can quickly identify any deterioration in your condition and change your treatment as needed

staff can give you treatment including support for your major organs, like your heart, kidneys and lungs

there are highly trained doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists and dietitians who look after you, and support your relatives by explaining what is happening

nurses look after fewer patients. There may be one nurse looking after only one or two patients (though this ratio may have been stretched during the COVID-19 pandemic)

The reason for admission to Critical Care may have been because of complications due to CoViD-19.

WHAT IS COVID-19? Open

A novel coronavirus, called the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus that causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Coronaviruses are
a family of viruses that cause disease in animals. Seven, including the new virus, have made the jump to humans, but most just cause cold or flu-like symptoms.

COVID-19 is closely related to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which swept around the world in 2002/2003. Another coronavirus is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), cases of which have been occurring sporadically since it first emerged in 2012.

Why did COVID-19 make you so unwell? If things got worse, it was likely due to the immune system overreacting to the virus. This causes inflammation around the body but particularly the lungs. Inflammation in the lungs is called pneumonitis.

In the lungs, there are tiny air sacs called alveoli. These are where oxygen moves into the blood and carbon dioxide moves out, but in patients with pneumonitis the tiny sacs start to become inflamed and fill with fluid. This eventually causes shortness of breath, low oxygen levels in the blood and difficulty breathing. If things get worse, some people need a ventilator to help them breathe.

Some patients may become more unwell because of the overwhelming response by the immune system and develop something called septic shock. This is when the blood pressure drops to dangerously low levels and organs stop working properly or fail completely. Septic shock means that further organs, in particular the heart and circulation system, and often the kidneys, require support.

In patients with COVID-19, the situation is further complicated by small blood clots forming. These can worsen the ability to breathe, and also cause a deterioration in the function of other organs.

THE TREATMENT YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED IN CRITICAL CARE Open

A team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other health professionals will have treated you, looked after you and tried to make you as comfortable as possible.

The nurses will have spent the most time with you and they will have done things like:

checking how you were responding to treatment through watching your blood pressure, oxygen levels etc

giving you the drugs that you needed

washing you and changing your bed sheets

turning you often so that you didn't get bedsores and moving your legs and arms so that you didn't get too stiff

putting a catheter in. This tube would have been put into your bladder to allow urine to be collected

removing phlegm from your lungs. This would have been done using a suction tube which was put down your breathing tube. It may have made you cough and retch, which you may remember

EQUIPMENT USED IN CRITICAL CARE Open

There is a range of equipment used in Critical Care that's different from the rest of the hospital. Here are descriptions of some of the equipment and treatments used in Critical Care:

Alarms: Critical Care is noisier than a general hospital ward because of the equipment beeping, or sounding an alarm. If you heard an alarm it didn't necessarily mean something was wrong, there may have just been something the staff needed to be aware of - for example a drug infusion which was nearing empty and needed to be changed.

Breathing tubes: Many patients in Critical Care need support with their breathing. In the most severely ill, this involves passing a plastic breathing tube (endotracheal tube) into the mouth and down the windpipe. Most patients will need sedation to keep them comfortable while this breathing tube is in place, though the staff will try to use as little sedation as possible to help the patient's recovery.

Ventilator or breathing machine: The ventilator is also sometimes called a breathing machine. This helps the patient to breathe while they are very ill, or too sleepy or weak to breathe by themselves. It is connected to the patient via a tubing system and a breathing tube (endotracheal tube) that is inserted into the patient's mouth and windpipe. The tubing allows the ventilator to push air and oxygen (under varying amounts of pressure) into the patient's lungs. Sometimes a tracheostomy or 'trache' tube is required. This is connected to the ventilator via a tube that is inserted through the neck and into the windpipe.

Blood pressure monitoring: Blood pressure is measured in Critical Care using either a blood pressure cuff (like the one at your GP) or using a cannula inserted directly into an artery, usually in the wrist or groin. This is called an arterial line.

An arterial line can measure blood pressure accurately and continuously, helping to identify problems quickly. It can also be used to take blood samples which show how much oxygen and carbon dioxide is in the blood. This helps make sure that the patient is getting the right support from the ventilator.

Feeding in Critical Care: It's very important for patients in Critical Care to maintain adequate nutrition and a good calorie intake in order to fight infection and enhance recovery, so while patients are unable to eat normally, feeding tubes are commonly used. A nasogastric tube (NG tube) is the most common type of feeding tube used. These are long thin tubes, placed by a nurse or the doctor, which goes into the nose, down the oesophagus (food pipe) until it reaches the stomach.

Some patients are unable to absorb food through their gut. In this case, the nutrition team will support the doctors in designing intravenous nutrition, otherwise known as TPN.

Kidney machine or 'filter': A kidney machine or 'filter' is a form of kidney support. This is a machine that can temporarily take over the work of the kidneys when they are struggling to work normally. Health professionals can monitor how well the patient's kidneys are working by recording the amount of urine they pass and by doing simple blood tests.

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED IN CRITICAL CARE Open

You may have no memory of your time in Critical Care, or you may have very confused memories of what happened to you there. The strong drugs and your treatment will have affected your body and mind.

You may have:

felt slightly aware but didn't know where you were or what was happening

had nightmares or thought things were happening which were not real - and these can be very frightening. You may not have realised you were in hospital and your mind may have tried to make sense of what was happening, by making you think things like you had been kidnapped or were being held captive. Experiencing this confusion and hallucinations is called delirium and is very common

been unable to talk or let people know what you were feeling

found it difficult to sleep or experienced strange dreams when you did

not known what time of day it was, or how long you had been in hospital

Not remembering what happened to you is extremely common. Memories can often be hazy or 'jumbled'. It can be difficult to piece together what happened before being admitted, and what took place while you were there. Some people remember the end of their admission, whilst others remember almost nothing.

Some people are happy not to remember very much, but for others, this can be upsetting. It may be that you are only ready to find out more in the weeks, months and sometimes years after getting home. It may be that you just want to put it behind you. It's completely up to you whether or not you'd like to find out more about what took place.

HOW YOU MAY BE FEELING NOW Open

Here are some common physical and cognitive problems you may experience during recovery:

Fatigue

Problems sleeping

Brittle hair and hair loss

Joint pains and muscle weakness

Nausea

Breathlessness

Poor appetite

Change in vision and hearing

Reduced kidney function

Short term memory loss

Judgement and decision-making

Speech, for example finding the right words

Loss of concentration

Difficulty performing tasks that were previously simple

WHAT YOU MAY BE THINKING NOW Open

Here are some of the most common psychological and emotional problems experienced during recovery:

Low mood and/or mood swings

Lack of interest in things that you previously enjoyed, and possibly your personal appearance

Anxiety about becoming unwell again

Loss of confidence

Wondering 'what if I hadn't survived?', as well as feeling guilty that you did

Feeling guilty about what you have put your friends and family through

Flashbacks and nightmares

Frustrated that nobody understands

Strain on personal relationships

During your recovery you may experience some or all of the problems listed, while looking relatively well to the outside world. Be reassured that it is normal and common to experience physical, cognitive and psychological problems after any critical illness. Give it time and seek support as you need it - you are not alone in your recovery. It is important to take your time getting back to work, study or other activities. It may be advisable to discuss a phased return to work with your GP or Occupational Health team at work to assist with the recovery process. If you are currently in higher education, you may find it useful to talk to a Student Wellbeing Officer or academic advisor.

WHAT TO DO TO HELP YOUR RECOVERY Open

There are a number of ways to help yourself during your recovery period. These include:

Time: Allow yourself time to recover - there is no standard pattern for this and recovery times vary greatly.

Pacing: It can take time to recover physically, so try to pace your activity and do not rush yourself. Remember to work on things you enjoy, as well as things you know you ought to do. Try to take time for the things that you would have enjoyed before, even if you don't feel like doing much. Your strength should slowly return as you become more active, but this may take longer than you expect it to. Try to think of your energy a bit like your household budget: don't spend it all on day one - spread it out over the days.

Space to talk: The more often you have the opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings about what happened in a way that feels comforting to you, the better your recovery. The support nurses at the UK Sepsis Trust can provide you with information, support and advice about what has happened and what to expect.

Self-care: Look after yourself. Try to eat healthy, nutritious food including fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Preparing meals can be tiring, especially when living on your own. If you have little appetite when you leave hospital, try eating little but more often if you struggle with bigger meals. In the early recovery phase, it is normal to find yourself eating more and craving things like protein. Listen to your body - it needs these vital ingredients to rebuild itself.

Sleep: You need regular sleep to keep your body healthy. It can take time to get back into a normal sleep routine. You may find it harder to fall asleep, or you may wake more frequently during the night. Sleep should eventually improve, there is helpful information here with some simple steps on how help you get a better nights sleep. If things don't improve you can contact your GP for advice about sleep.

Managing stress and anxiety: As you get better and start doing more, you may face new challenges. One common challenge is accepting that you were ill, understanding that illness and focusing on how to get better. This can make you feel scared but, with guidance and support, this should become more manageable. You will find helpful resources and tips to help you manage your anxiety here.

Diary: Keeping a daily diary documenting your physical symptoms and feelings, sleep and activity can be both therapeutic and useful. A diary can chart your progress and can help you to monitor any symptoms that you may want to discuss with your GP. It is important to celebrate your achievements, regardless of how small you feel they may be.

Light Exercise: It is important to keep mobile if possible, but you may not have energy to do the same amount of exercise that you were doing before you were ill and may have lost muscle tone. The NHS Choices website has some gentle exercises to get you started for improving strength, balance, and flexibility. Some of these can be done sitting or standing. Although these exercises are suggested for older people, they are helpful for everyone to build up their strength, slowly. Exercises for strength, balance and flexibility as well as exercises to do whilst sitting can be found at: nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/easy-low-impact-exercises/

WHERE TO GET HELP AND SUPPORT Open

UK Sepsis Trust: We provide support to people affected by critical illness, you can contact us by calling 0808 800 0029 or by requesting email support. You can talk to nurses with experience of Critical Care and recovery.

Family and friends: Loved ones can help with daily chores like laundry and shopping. They are also there to listen to what you have been through and will need to understand that it may take some time for you to feel better again.

GP: It is important to update your GP with your progress, especially if you have had a long Critical Care stay. Your GP can also review your medicines and may be able to offer you treatment or refer you to physiotherapy, dietitian services, occupational therapy and/or talking therapy to help you through your recovery.

Critical Care follow up: Under 'normal' circumstances, some Critical Care Units provide a follow up service. This does vary but will often include an outpatient appointment to see the doctors and nurses who may have been involved with your care. This may also be an opportunity to re-visit the Unit. Although frightening, some people find this experience very beneficial and can help to fill in some blanks. We are unsure how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect these services in the short term.

WHEN TO SEEK EXPERT HELP Open

Most symptoms will improve with time as you make adjustments. You will get aches and pains, just like any other person. This is normal and does not necessarily mean anything bad.

Speak to your GP if you are still experiencing the following problems more than a month after discharge from hospital:

Frequent anxiety or worries that interfere with your ability to face day-to-day life

Low mood or depression, impacting on motivation, your opinion of yourself, or your thoughts about the future

Continued poor sleep, ongoing nightmares or flashbacks

Change in behaviour

Difficulty doing previously 'normal' tasks, or looking after the home and family

Using drugs (prescription/ non-prescription/ recreational) or drinking a lot of alcohol

RETURNING TO WORK Open

Going back to work can be a really daunting prospect! Some of the problems that occur after a critical illness, such as fatigue, poor memory and anxiety, can make resuming work difficult or impossible. When to go back varies greatly from person to person and depends on a number of factors, it is important not to rush back to quickly and to discuss returning to work with your doctor, occupational health department and employer. You may also have lost confidence and be worried if you will be able to perform your job as you did before you were ill. You should discuss these concerns with your employer, if they are aware they may be able to make some changes to how you work, these are known as reasonable adjustments. They can arrange to have regular reviews with you to ensure you are settling back in and give you the opportunity to discuss any concerns. Example of reasonable adjustments are:

Flexible working (e.g. altering start/finish times, working from home where appropriate, part time working, job sharing)

Changing tasks or the pace of work to avoid exacerbating the condition

Allowing for reasonable time off for appointments and treatment

Changing layout of workspace (e.g. desk)

More frequent and/or longer breaks

Providing a quiet place for you to rest without being disturbed

Alteration of sickness absence or capability policies

For more advice on issues relating to employment, visit Citizens Advice work, Citizens Advice benefits or Citizens Advice on problems at work. It's also a good idea to signpost your employer the information in our Returning to Work booklet.

RESOURCES Open

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Critical Illness Recovery | The UK Sepsis Trust

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HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE YOU TO RECOVER? Open Recovery will commonly involve your whole body. Many people encounter new physical, cognitive, psychological and emotional problems during their recovery. It is normal to go through a period of recovery and the majority of people will eventually make a full recovery.

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Recovering after a stay on the Intensive Care Unit at RUH, Bath

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Recovering after a stay on the Intensive Care Unit at RUH, Bath

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Hear Talks Monthly Support Group Midsomer Norton, Fridays 7-8:30pm

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Hear Talks Monthly Support Group Midsomer Norton, Fridays 7-8:30pm

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HeartTalks is an non for profit organisation, founded by Chantelle Walmsley, Director of HeartTalks, Pregnancy Loss Practitioner Trainee, Peer Supporter, Nurse, Author (The Girls that Refused to Quit: Vol 3) , Wife, Angel and Earth mama. It was Chantelle's own experience navigating the emotions of fertility, experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss when she discovered that more support was required in the pregnancy baby/loss space.

From this space of authenticity, she set out on a mission to not only bring about change but to connect with other whispering hearts, but to help others break through the wall of silence. To create a accessible peer support network for others that she wished she had had. For others to reclaim who they are, find the peace within to pursue a path of love, respect & growth.

HeartTalks current activities serve the area of Somer Valley within Bath and North Somerset. HeartTalks offers a gentle supportive space to support grief with compassion and love. With access to a local monthly peer support group, gifts of comfort care packs and an open resource library and signposting service.

" Having an available gentle supportive space to attend monthly, bringing together those who are going through or have gone through similar experiences. Reassuring others they are not alone, improving mental health and helping to recover through empowerment and hope"

"Peer support provides an opportunity for us to share coping strategies & sharing of our personal experiences. For those that may have difficulty accessing transport, a local service will help those that otherwise couldn't attend a support group to feel less alone & isolated"
"Our angels leave an imprint on our hearts, let them be your guided light. Book- The Girls that Refused to Quit: Vol 3
Connect with Chantelle Published in 2021 Chantelle wrote a chapter in this Multiple All branding Photography on website is by Celie Photo. www.celiephoto.com
Let their whispers in your heart speak to the hearts of others"

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Autistic women, pregnancy and motherhood

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Autistic women, pregnancy and motherhood

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Autistic women, pregnancy and motherhood

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Lana Grant gives an insight into her experience of pregnancy and motherhood as an autistic woman

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Winston's wish: supporting a bereaved child who has autism

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Winston's wish: supporting a bereaved child who has autism

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in their own unique ways. Grief can be complex for any of us. It is important to acknowledge that any loss can cause grief. Loss of a favorite toy or routine as well as the loss of a house, school, or family member can be very significant.

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Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you're looking for and rewards you.

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Autism speaks: grief and bereavement resources

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Autism speaks: grief and bereavement resources

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Psychologists suggest the following resources to help autistic people understand and cope with tragedy and grief.
For more information and resources, contact the Autism Speaks Autism Response Team: English: 888-288-4762 or help@autismspeaks.org En Español: 888-772-9050 or ayuda@autismspeaks.org
Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

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Grief and Bereavement Resources | Autism Speaks

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Autism Speaks provides suggestions from psychologists and resources about helping people with autism understand and respond to tragedy and grief.

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Child bereavement UK: Supporting a bereaved child who is autistic

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Child bereavement UK: Supporting a bereaved child who is autistic

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Supporting a bereaved child who is autistic.

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Just like any other child, an autistic child will need their grief to be recognised and understood and to be given opportunities to express how they feel. Because of the nature of their autism, an autistic child may not respond to the death of someone close to them in the same way as other children but this does not mean they are not grieving. This information covers some of the challenges bereaved autistic children may face, and ideas for what might help.

How autism may affect a child or young person

Due to differences in how they process information and understand and understand abstract ideas, autistic children may have specific problems in developing their own ideas about death and the rituals that surround it. Other difficulties they face may relate to:

Mindblindness

An autistic child may find it more difficult to see things from another's point of view. This may make it hard for them to understand other people's feelings and behaviours, including not realising that others can help.

Information processing

An autistic child may have difficulties in understanding the rituals surrounding a death and in understanding the implications of a death. For example, they may not understand that because someone has died, this means they will not be there at the weekend, to take them to school or to celebrate a birthday.

Language and communication

An autistic child may find it difficult to understand abstract concepts and, as with any bereaved child, it can help to use clear, specific, concrete language, avoiding phrases such as 'gone away' or 'lost', which can be confusing. Autistic children may also find it difficult to let you know how they are feeling and to ask for support.

Preoccupations

An autistic child's focus on specific things may increase or grow more intense due to anxiety.

Imagination, time perception and memory

These may lead to difficulty in understanding the impact of a death. For example, understanding changes to routines, anticipating how things might be in the future and understanding events that they have not experienced before.

As well as suffering the loss of the person that has died, autistic children can be further distressed by all the changes that might happen in their day-to-day lives as a result of the bereavement. Below are suggestions on how to help support an autistic child who is bereaved.

Preparing for loss in advance

If the death of someone close is expected, children or young people can be prepared in advance and in a gradual way. They may need to be prepared for visits to a hospice or hospital. It is particularly helpful if they can be told beforehand about any changes they might notice, for example in the ill person's appearance (how they might sound, look or feel to the touch) or in everyday activities and routines. You may also need to explain whether there will be medical equipment such as intravenous lines or a ventilator, and that this might be noisy.

Keep to normal daily routines as much as possible.

Use clear, concrete language, avoiding euphemisms and abstract ideas.

Explain any likely changes in routine in advance, giving details about who will be doing what and when.

Use pictures and photographs to explain what will happen and when and how. For example, pictures of the hospice, or of the taxi that will take them to school or to swimming from now on.

Use calendars or other visual aids, for example, to mark hospital visits, as well as significant positive events such as visits to the park.

It can be helpful to develop rituals to mark a death, such as lighting a candle when an animal dies. The same ritual can then be used when a person dies.

When a death has happened

When someone dies, a child may need help in understanding the idea of death as well as opportunities to express their grief.

Use simple, concrete language and avoid euphemisms such as 'lost', 'passed away' or 'gone to sleep'. You may need to explain what dead means in concrete terms. You might say: 'When someone is dead their body is no longer working and their heart has stopped. A dead body cannot move or feel anything, so there is no pain.'

Use lots of examples to explain that death is permanent and not reversible, in a way that is appropriate to the child's understanding:

When someone has died they can never come back to life again.

Where possible, use pictures and real objects. Try to use a biological approach that is practical, clear, and visual, with concrete examples. For example, comparing a dead fish with a live fish, or observing flowers wilting and dying, or talking about what dead means when they come across a dead bird, for example.

Answer the child's questions as they arise - which may mean answering the same questions repeatedly. Answer simply, and honestly, and at an appropriate level for the child's understanding. Give enough information to answer the child's question, but without adding a confusing amount of detail.

Prepare the child for ceremonies or rituals that will include them, by visiting the relevant places beforehand. It may help to use photographs and draw up an explanatory story using words and pictures to explain what will happen. Clearly explain what the child is expected to do and show what other people will be doing and saying, and what will be happening around them.

Help the child to learn how to recognise different feelings and emotions in themselves and others as well as learning appropriate ways of expressing their feelings. You can do this by using everyday situations and events to point out different emotions in other people (such as on TV programmes, in magazines and stories), by using consistent and simple language to label emotions from the child's own experiences and by using pictures. Using pictures is particularly helpful for autistic children, and a 'feelings thermometer' can help a child express the intensity of an emotion. You can do this by drawing a picture of a thermometer with a rating scale up the side. Encourage the child to show where they are on the scale to rate the strength of their anger/sadness/worry. Similarly, using a picture of a volcano to illustrate anger and how it sometimes 'boils over' can be helpful.Using a 'comic strip conversations' technique can help others understand what an autistic child is thinking and feeling and can provide the opportunity to discuss things that the child might otherwise find difficult. This can help identify misunderstandings and highlight emotions that have perhaps not been openly expressed, or that have shown in other ways.

Keeping memories alive

When someone important to a child or young person dies, memories are an important part of the grief process. The person may be physically gone from the child's life, but the emotional bond will still be there. This is particularly true when a parent or main carer dies. Memories help any child to construct a sense of who it is they are grieving for and why. All memories have a part to play, whether of happy times or times that were not so good.

A piece of fabric, from an item of clothing worn by the person who has died, carried in a pocket or made into a cushion, can be comforting.

Similarly, smelling the favourite perfume or aftershave of the dead person on a hanky can be reassuring.

Putting together a memory box of physical reminders, chosen by the child. This can help give some insight into factors and events that are key to the relationship with the dead person. Try to include something relating to all five senses. A memory box, therefore, might include pictures of the person and pictures of things that person enjoyed, a small object that belonged to the person, a piece of fabric that is associated with that person (that may have a particular 'feel' to it), a memory stick with a playlist of music that the person enjoyed or videos of them, and something that reminds the child of the smell of that person (such as perfume, aftershave, toothpaste or deodorant).

Listening to audio tapes of the voice or favourite music of the dead person may be familiar and comforting.

Using photographs can help to create a timeline to spark off memories of significant events, and then build a life story of the person.

Visit our page: How we can support you for more on our services.

You can also call our Helpline 0800 02 888 40 , email , or use Live Chat on our website.

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Short films delivered by our support practitioners giving guidance on a range of bereavement topics. Read more

A list of books and resources relating to grief and bereavement and what may help. Read more

Watch short films and read experiences of bereaved families and how support has helped them. Read more

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charity bereavement child death grief loss baby stillbirth miscarriage suicide young people

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Ways of recognising and understanding the grief of a bereaved autistic child and providing support.

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This section looks at the subject of bereavement, how it can affect autistic people and what we can do to help

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Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services

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Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services

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Pregnancy and having a baby can be a difficult time for new parents who may be experiencing changes in mood. Perinatal mental health teams were set up after studies found that access to evidence-based specialist mental health care can significantly benefit mothers and their babies. Perinatal describes the period of time from conception to the infant’s first birthday.

Our specialist service is available to women in the perinatal timeframe who:

have previously experienced a serious mental illness and are planning to conceive.

develop a serious mental illness in the perinatal period.

have had a serious perinatal illness in a past pregnancy and are now pregnant.

are already under the care of AWP when we may provide additional support.

have been previously admitted to a mother and baby unit.

display significant mental health difficulties during the perinatal period.

The perinatal team offers assessment, signposting and treatment, working with women in community settings. We can also give advice to women who are taking significant medication for a mental illness and intend to become pregnant.

It is important to get advice as soon as possible if you think you are pregnant or might become pregnant while taking sodium valproate.

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Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

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Referrals can be received from any professional. We cannot accept self-referrals, but we will help signpost and redirect you.

Professionals can make a referral by using the contact information on this page. Please select the area based on where your patient's GP is registered.

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Perinatal mental health :: Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

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Referrals can be received from any professional. We cannot accept self-referrals, but we will help signpost and redirect you. Professionals can make a referral by using the contact information on this page. Please select the area based on where your patient's GP is registered.

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Healthwatch Wiltshire is your local health and social care champion. If you use GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support services, we want to hear about your experiences. As an independent statutory body, we have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to your feedback and improve standards of care. Last year we helped nearly a million people like you to have your say and get the information and advice you need.

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Healthwatch Wiltshire is hosted by Help & Care a registered Charity No. 1055056.

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Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset

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Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset

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We are the independent champion for people who use health and social care services. We’re here to make sure that those running services, put people at the heart of care.

Our sole purpose is to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf.

We focus on ensuring that people’s worries and concerns about current services are addressed.

We work to get services right for the future.

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Swindon SEND Families Voice are a non-profit making Community Interest Company formed by parent and carers in January 2018. We are a group of parents that have children with additional needs. We feel passionate about ensuring the services in our area meet the needs of Swindon’s disabled children and their families, and that all parents and carers feel supported. We are the recognised parent carer forum in Swindon by the Department for Education and the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

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Welcome To The Parent Carer Forum For Swindon Swindon SEND Families Voice are a Community Interest Company formed by parent and carers in January 2018. The forum feels passionately about ensuring the services in our area meet the needs of Swindon's disabled children and their families.

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Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.

You can access talking therapies for free on the NHS.

You can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service without a referral from a GP, or a GP can refer you.

Help is available in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course.

Find an NHS talking therapies service

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How to access free psychological therapies (talking therapies) like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling and guided self-help on the NHS.

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We’re the largest collective of HIE help, support, resources, and families in the world, with an incredibly active and engaged community. Hope for HIE is deeply committed to providing comprehensive, personalized support for each family’s journey.

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Hope for HIE - Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

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You're Not Alone

WELCOME

We are the worldwide voice of families who have children with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

We're the largest collective of HIE help, support, resources, and families in the world, with an incredibly active and engaged community. Hope for HIE is deeply committed to providing comprehensive, personalized support for each family's journey.

SIGN UP HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Connect with families, read inspiring stories, and get helpful resources delivered right to your inbox.

We have been scared. We have felt alone. We have felt overwhelmed. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for children and families affected by Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy through awareness, education and support.

We regularly work with researchers, clinicians and industry partners who are working to decrease the incidence of HIE, and improve the quality of life for babies and children who face it. If you are a researcher and would like to partner with our community of over 8,500 families, reach out.

Hope for HIE's Board of Directors, Medical Advisory Board, Council of Advisors, and volunteers can provide in-depth professional insight and storytelling on a variety of topics.

SIGNUP

Connect with families, read inspiring stories, and get helpful resources delivered right to your inbox.

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Hope for HIE - Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

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We are the worldwide voice of families who have children with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy on a mission to improve the quality of life for children and families impacted by HIE.

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We provide support to parents, families & friends of those affected by HIE (Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy), raising awareness of HIE.

Some of the things we do include:

Provide information about HIE

Buddy/peer support

Counselling and therapy

Funding for equipment

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Peeps HIE Charity | HIE Awareness & Support

Welcome to Peeps HIE

We provide support to parents, families & friends of those affected by HIE (Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy), raising awareness of HIE.

Some of the things we do include:

Provide information about HIE

Buddy/peer support

Counselling and therapy

Funding for equipment

Find out more about what we do...

Our Family stories

We pride ourselves on the support we can give to families experiencing the challenges of day-to-day life with children affected by HIE.

Read our Family Stories

Peeps on Twitter

Our information leaflets are written by families, with families, for families.
They can be downloaded from our website, or printed copies sent out - please get in touch if we can help support.

https://www.peeps-hie.org/resources-downloads/

#HeardOfHIE

2

If you'd like to find out more about our new book club, starting in 2024, and register an interest, please check out our website:

It will be online, peer-led, from the comfort of your own home, and just for H.I.E. parents/grandparents/carers.
Suggestions...

We recognise that each H.I.E. journey can be unique; we aim to provide support and guidance tailored to the diverse needs of our community.

Inclusion matters and is an agenda item on every meeting we have with Trustees and employees.

From informational resources to emotional...

Twitter icon
View more

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Peeps HIE Charity | HIE Awareness & Support

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Peeps is a UK charity, dedicated to supporting those affected by HIE (hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy). We provide emotional, practical and financial support.

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Take a look at our advice article on the organisations and groups that can support you if you’re grieving.

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From 1 July 2022, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists can legally certify and issue a statement of fitness for work, or informally known as a 'fit note'. Find out what a 'fit note' is, when you might need one and how to go about getting one. Previously only GPs or hospital doctors could issue fit notes.

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Someone I love has died - where can I find support

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Take a look at our advice article on the organisations and groups that can support you if you're grieving.

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At Wiltshire Treehouse we support children & young people who have been affected by the death of someone important to them.

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At Wiltshire Treehouse we support children & young people who have been affected by the death of someone important to them.

You may be looking at our site because you are worried about a child or young person you know. Or perhaps you are a child or young person who has experienced the death of someone very close to you.

Our services are free of charge to families living or attending school within Swindon and Wiltshire. We can provide:

Telephone advice and support to parents, helping adults to understand their child and how to best support them

Direct work with children and young people affected by bereavement through our specialist group work programmes

Advice and training for professionals, helping schools and other organisations to support the bereaved children they work with

Referrals for more specialised help

For more information please have a look at our or our Parents/Carers and Children & Young People pages.

Or, if you would like to discuss things further, then please do .

Sadly we cannot provide: - immediate help to people in crisis - help before someone has died, for example if someone has received a terminal diagnosis - 1 to 1 work with children and young people. However, we may be able to offer 1 to 1 help in very exceptional circumstances

To get help for a child (or children) in your family please complete our secure form below:

Wiltshire Treehouse Referral Form

If you need help with this form please email admin@wiltshiretreehouse.org.uk or call 01793 987105. We will be happy to help.

PLEASE NOTE that we only accept forms completed by families (not professionals) unless there are exceptional circumstances and this has been agreed in advance by the Bereavement Service Lead.

We welcome enquiries from professionals. We can offer advice, resources and information about our service.

For all professional enquiries please email admin@wiltshiretreehouse.org.uk or contact Kath Brownlee, Bereavement Service Lead on 07493 509750.

If you are a Professional wishing to make a referral on behalf of a family, please email us as above in the first instance.

We aim to reply to all forms and enquiries within 10 working days.

To view our Privacy Notice please visit: http://www.wiltshiretreehouse.org.uk/our-policies/privacy-notice/privacy-notice.aspx

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Wiltshire Treehouse is a new charity providing bereavement support to Children and young people up to the age of 25, our eventual aim is to offer services across the whole of Wiltshire.

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When there are concerns about Quality of Care

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When there are concerns about Quality of Care

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Around 1 in 5 deaths reviewed by hospitals in 2021 to 2022 were potentially avoidable according to the If there's any concern that the care you received did not meet national or local guidelines and this may have contributed to your baby's death, an urgent Perinatal Mortality Review Tool's 4th annual report. This means that safer, more personalised care, that followed guidelines and addressed the mother's or baby's needs might have saved the baby's life. NHS staff have a Duty of Candour to be open and honest with families when something goes wrong in NHS care. Patient Safety Incident Investigation ( PSII in England, Wales or N. Ireland) or a Significant Adverse Event Review (SAER in Scotland) will be carried out.
How can I find out more about Duty of Candour?
Action Against Medical Accidents or AvMA has provided information for patients around Duty of Candour you may find helpful.

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When there are concerns about quality of care | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Around 1 in 5 deaths reviewed by hospitals in 2021 to 2022 were potentially avoidable according to the If there's any concern that the care you received did not meet national or local guidelines and this may have contributed to your baby's death, an urgent Perinatal Mortality Review Tool's 4th annual report.

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Child Death Review (CDR) information

By law in England, the death of every child from a newborn up to 18 years old will receive a child death review (CDR). Completed reviews will be reviewed again by a local Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP).

The purpose of the CDOP is to provide an overview of deaths to see if they could have been prevented where possible. More than 50 CDOPs are in place across the country, and each is accountable to the local safeguarding children board. They are made up of representatives from social care, and the police as well as coroners and paediatricians. Panels meet several times a year to review all the child deaths in their area. Panels are not given the names of the children who died or the professionals involved in their care. The main purpose is to identify themes and prevent similar deaths in the future.

Child Death Overview Panelsdo not produce reports on individual child deaths, which is why parents do not receive any information from the panels about their individual child. The panels do, however, produce an annual report which is a public document.

You should have been told by your hospital if your baby's death was being reviewed by your local CDOP.

To find out the contact details of the CDOP in your local area, go to this page.

Sands is on the Steering Group of the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) ensuring the voices of parents are central to their work. Launched on April 1st 2019, the NCMD collects all information on child deaths across England to get a national picture of how deaths might be prevented and care improved for future families.

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Child death review | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By law in England, the death of every child from a newborn up to 18 years old will receive a child death review (CDR). Completed reviews will be reviewed again by a local Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP). The purpose of the CDOP is to provide an overview of deaths to see if they could have been prevented where possible.

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Post-mortem examination | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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A post-mortem (also called an autopsy) is a medical examination to help understand the medical reason for why your baby died. A healthcare professional who knows about the post-mortem process will talk with you about your options of having a post-mortem and can answer any questions you have.

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Contact a Samaritan. If you need someone to talk to, we listen. We won't judge or tell you what to do. Call us any time, day or night Whatever you're going through, you can call us...

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We do not tolerate behaviours that are threatening or abusive in any way. While we recognise that people who exhibit these behaviours have a right to the support they need, it's not possible for us to provide a safe and supportive space when met with threatening or abusive behaviours.

We act to prevent further contacts from callers who behave in these ways. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
Limiting or withdrawing access to our services
From time to time we may have to use the information collected about you when you contact us to make decisions about limiting access to our services. If we believe you are abusing our service or are abusive towards volunteers, we will use our system to block your calls or messages from getting through.

If you can't get through by phone, you will hear a message that explains how to contact us to discuss our decision to block you from our system.

If we take the decision to limit your access to our systems, we will make every effort to inform you as to the reason why we have restricted your access. We may ask you to give us a contact number so that a member of our Caller Support Team can call you to talk about your support needs.

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If you're going through a tough time, contact us free. We won't judge you or tell you what to do. We are here to listen so you don't have to face it alone.

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Support Line

Our support lines are manned by volunteers, so if you try to call and get no response, please leave a message and someone will be in touch.
Swindon: 07425 291123
Devizes: 07388 649134

Memorial Garden: Painting a Pebble

One of our big projects has been to create and maintain a local Memorial Garden at Kingsdown Crematorium. We want to make it a very special place and you can still get involved! (Read More)

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Our support lines are manned by volunteers, so if you try to call and get no response, please leave a message and someone will be in touch. Swindon: 07425 291123 Devizes: 07388 649134 One of our big projects has been to create and maintain a local Memorial Garden at Kingsdown Crematorium.

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Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

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Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

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Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

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​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be:

As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets. We are unable to endorse the information held on third party websites, it is for information only.

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Resources - Bath North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

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​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be: As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

# data[].attributes.subject
Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be:

As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets. We are unable to endorse the information held on third party websites, it is for information only.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources - Bath North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be: As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

# data[].attributes.subject
Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be:

As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets. We are unable to endorse the information held on third party websites, it is for information only.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources - Bath North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be: As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets.

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Coping with losing a child – The Good Grief Trust

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Welcome to our page for those of you who have been through the pain of losing a child. We hope you find some comfort, information that is right for you and the support you need whenever you are ready toRead more…

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BSW Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership Padlet

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BSW Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership Padlet

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Resources to support all families living in the BSW area.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be:

As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets. We are unable to endorse the information held on third party websites, it is for information only.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources - Bath North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Maternity Voices Partnership Plus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
​While we make every effort to keep these padlets up to date, we make no warranties or representations that the information will be: As an MVP, we are not liable for any loss or damage that may come from using these padlets.

# data[].attributes.headline
Petals-the Baby Loss Counselling Charity

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Petals-the Baby Loss Counselling Charity

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Making Miracles- Birth Trauma and Bereavement Support

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Making Miracles- Birth Trauma and Bereavement Support

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The Patients Association is a charity dedicated to supporting the rights and interests of all patients and their families, offering advice and support to patients and campaigning to improve health and social care for all

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What is the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS)? 

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What is the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS)? 

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What is PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)?

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Find out more about the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), which offers confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters.

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You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, and this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.

The information on this page will guide you through the NHS complaints process, as well as the core requirements for NHS complaints handling.

The NHS encourages feedback because it's used to improve services. If you wish to share your views and experiences, positive or negative, simply speak to a member of staff.

Many service providers have feedback forms available on their premises or websites. Sometimes the NHS will ask for your feedback.

If you're unhappy with an NHS service, it's often worthwhile discussing your concerns early on with the provider of the service, as they may be able to sort the issue out quickly.

Most problems can be dealt with at this stage, but in some cases you may feel more comfortable speaking to someone not directly involved in your care.

If you're considering making a complaint but need help

Many issues can be resolved quickly by speaking directly to the staff at the place where you received care or accessed a service.

Some people find it helpful to talk to someone who understands the complaints process first and get some guidance and support.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a free, confidential and independent service that you'll find in most hospitals.

You can speak with a PALS member, who'll try to help you resolve issues informally with the hospital before you need to make a complaint.

PALS can be particularly helpful if your issue is urgent and you need action immediately, such as a problem with the treatment or care you receive while in hospital.

If you're making, or thinking about making, a complaint, you could get help from an NHS complaints advocate.

An advocate can help you to write a complaint letter and attend meetings with you, but cannot make the complaint for you or give medical or legal advice.

You can get advice from an NHS complaints advocate at any stage of the process. If you decide you need some support, it's never too late to ask for help. Search online for 'NHS complaints advocacy' in your area.
Find out more about how to complain about NHS care on the VoiceAbility website
Healthwatch is an independent statutory body that helps make sure your feedback is listened to.
Find your local Healthwatch
Complaining about NHS services

Everyone who provides an NHS service in England must have their own complaints procedure.

You can often find information in waiting rooms, at reception, on the service provider's website, or by asking a member of staff.

You can either complain to the NHS service provider directly (such as a GP, dentist surgery or hospital) or to the commissioner of the services, which is the body that pays for the NHS services you use. You cannot apply to both.

In the event of a complaint about more than one organisation - perhaps a complaint that includes issues about your GP, local hospital and ambulance service - the organisations must co-operate with each other to make sure you get a co-ordinated response.

How do I find the commissioner?

Contact your local integrated care board (ICB) for complaints about primary care services (GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacists) and secondary care, such as hospital care, mental health services, out-of-hours services, NHS 111 and community services like district nursing.

Every ICB will have its own complaints procedure, which is often displayed on its website.
Find your local integrated care board (ICB)
Contact NHS England for complaints about healthcare in prison, military health services, and specialised services that support people with a range of rare and complex conditions.
Find out about complaining to NHS England
Contact your local council if your complaint is about public health organisations, which provide services that prevent disease, promote health and prolong life.
Find your local council on GOV.UK
Complaining about adult social care services

If you're unhappy with a social care service, care home or home care and you're paying for your own care, you may want to speak to the service provider first.

But if you want to make a complaint, the organisations that provide these services will have their own complaints arrangements.

If your care is funded or arranged by your local council, you may wish to raise the issues with the care provider in the first instance.

If you'd prefer not to do that, you can raise your concerns directly with your local council.
Find your local council on GOV.UK
Complaining about the use of the Mental Health Act

If you wish to make a complaint about a mental health service, you should either contact the service provider or the local ICB.

But if you wish to complain about the use of the Mental Health Act on someone detained in hospital or put on a guardianship or under a community treatment order, complain to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Find out how to complain about the use of the Mental Health Act on the CQC website
Complaining about care your child is receiving

If you have concerns about the care your child is receiving, raise it with the team caring for your child. They will want to know if there is a problem or a concern so they can try to resolve it. If necessary, you can escalate your concern to a more senior team member.

Some hospitals offer family liaison nurses, who act as contacts between medical teams, nursing teams and families. You can ask the team caring for your child how to contact the family liaison nurse.

Useful resources for parents or carers

Making a complaint

Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of an incident or of it coming to your attention.

This time limit can be extended provided you have good reasons for not making the complaint sooner and it's possible to complete a fair investigation.

This will be a decision taken by the complaints manager in discussion with you.

You can make a complaint verbally, in writing or by email. If you make your complaint verbally, a record of your complaint will be made and you'll be provided with a written copy.

If you're complaining on behalf of someone else, include their written consent with your letter (if you're making your complaint in writing) as this will speed up the process.

If the person cannot give their consent, for example, if they have died or lack mental capacity, or are a child who cannot complain for themselves, you may be able to complain for them.

If you need advice or would like support, find out more about NHS complaints advocacy on the VoiceAbility website.

What to expect

You should expect an acknowledgement and the offer of a discussion about the handling of your complaint within 3 working days of receiving your complaint.

If you accept, the discussion will cover the period within which a response to your complaint is likely to be sent.

There's no set timeframe, and this will depend on the nature of your complaint.

If, in the end, the response is delayed for any reason, you should be kept informed.

Once your complaint has been investigated, you'll receive a written response.

The response should set out the findings and, where appropriate, provide apologies and information about what's being done as a result of your complaint.

It should also include information about how the complaint has been handled and details of your right to take your complaint to the relevant ombudsman.

If you're not happy with the outcome

If your problem persists or you're not happy with the way your complaint has been dealt with locally, you can complain to the relevant ombudsman.

Healthcare

If you've reached the end of the complaints process and are not happy with the organisation's final decision, you have the right to bring your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look at.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman makes final decisions on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England. This organisation is independent of the NHS.

For more information, call their helpline on 0345 015 4033 or visit the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website.

Social care

You have the right to take your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), which is independent of local authorities and care providers.

For more information, call their helpline on 0300 061 0614 or visit the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman website.

Other ways to give feedback

Sometimes the NHS will ask for your feedback.

The Friends and Family Test (FFT) is available for NHS services, including hospitals, GP practices and mental health services.

The FFT is an anonymous and quick way for you to provide feedback to an NHS service about the service provided to you.
Find out more about the FFT
There are other, more in-depth national survey programmes you might be invited to take part in to find out about your experience of the NHS.

The Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) questionnaire invites patients who have recently had a hip or knee replacement to give feedback on the care they received.
Find out more about PROMs on NHS England's website
There are many websites, including this one, that invite you to comment, give feedback, or even rate NHS services or facilities.

You can comment on health and social care services in England on the NHS website.
Find services near you and select a service
You can either leave an overall star rating or post a review for other patients to see.

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Find out how to complain about the NHS, who to complain to, what to expect after you've made a complaint and what you can do if you're unhappy with the outcome.

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Volunteer with us

Over 16,000 highly trained volunteers support the delivery of our service. Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and find volunteering rewarding, challenging and fun. We have a range of roles in local Citizens Advice and Witness Service, want to find out more?

Our volunteer opportunities

Find your local Citizens Advice

For more information and advice

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Online free advice from Citizens Advice to help you find a way forward, whatever the problem. Our research enables us to campaign on issues affecting people's lives.

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Parlimentary and Health Service Ombudsman

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Parlimentary and Health Service Ombudsman

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Raising a comment or complaint with the General Medical Council (GMC)

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Raising a comment or complaint with the General Medical Council (GMC)

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Care Quality Commission (CQC) Give feedback on care

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Care Quality Commission (CQC) Give feedback on care

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We use what people tell us to understand the quality of care they get from services like care homes, care agencies, hospitals and GPs. It helps make care better for everybody.

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Call 020 33076802

For advice on whether to make a direct referral to the NMC.

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Safer Sleep For Babies, Support For Families

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Safer Sleep For Babies, Support For Families

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The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families

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4 Louis- Supporting Families Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Child Loss

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4 Louis- Supporting Families Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Child Loss

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The changes clarify how you should apply the term "unexpected or unintended" to decide if something qualifies as a notifiable safety incident or not. See updated pages:
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 20

The regulation in full

20.-

Registered persons must act in an open and transparent way with relevant persons in relation to care and treatment provided to service users in carrying on a regulated activity.

As soon as reasonably practicable after becoming aware that a notifiable safety incident has occurred a registered person must-

notify the relevant person that the incident has occurred in accordance with paragraph (3), and

provide reasonable support to the relevant person in relation to the incident, including when giving such notification.

The notification to be given under paragraph (2)(a) must-

be given in person by one or more representatives of the registered person,

provide an account, which to the best of the registered person's knowledge is true, of all the facts the registered person knows about the incident as at the date of the notification,

advise the relevant person what further enquiries into the incident the registered person believes are appropriate,

include an apology, and

be recorded in a written record which is kept securely by the registered person.

The notification given under paragraph (2)(a) must be followed by a written notification given or sent to the relevant person containing-

the information provided under paragraph (3)(b),

details of any enquiries to be undertaken in accordance with paragraph (3)(c),

the results of any further enquiries into the incident, and

an apology.

But if the relevant person cannot be contacted in person or declines to speak to the representative of the registered person -

paragraphs (2) to (4) are not to apply, and

a written record is to be kept of attempts to contact or to speak to the relevant person.

The registered provider must keep a copy of all correspondence with the relevant person under paragraph (4).

In this regulation-
"apology" means an expression of sorrow or regret in respect of a notifiable safety incident; "moderate harm" means-

harm that requires a moderate increase in treatment, and

significant, but not permanent, harm;

"moderate increase in treatment" means an unplanned return to surgery, an unplanned re-admission, a prolonged episode of care, extra time in hospital or as an outpatient, cancelling of treatment, or transfer to another treatment area (such as intensive care);
"notifiable safety incident" has the meaning given in paragraphs (8) and (9);
"prolonged pain" means pain which a service user has experienced, or is likely to experience, for a continuous period of at least 28 days;
"prolonged psychological harm" means psychological harm which a service user has experienced, or is likely to experience, for a continuous period of at least 28 days;
"relevant person" means the service user or, in the following circumstances, a person lawfully acting on their behalf-

on the death of the service user,

where the service user is under 16 and not competent to make a decision in relation to their care or treatment, or

where the service user is 16 or over and lacks capacity in relation to the matter;

​"severe harm" means a permanent lessening of bodily, sensory, motor, physiologic or intellectual functions, including removal of the wrong limb or organ or brain damage, that is related directly to the incident and not related to the natural course of the service user's illness or underlying condition.

In relation to a health service body, "notifiable safety incident" means any unintended or unexpected incident that occurred in respect of a service user during the provision of a regulated activity that, in the reasonable opinion of a health care professional, could result in, or appears to have resulted in-

the death of the service user, where the death relates directly to the incident rather than to the natural course of the service user's illness or underlying condition, or

severe harm, moderate harm or prolonged psychological harm to the service user.

In relation to any other registered person, "notifiable safety incident" means any unintended or unexpected incident that occurred in respect of a service user during the provision of a regulated activity that, in the reasonable opinion of a health care professional-

appears to have resulted in-

the death of the service user, where the death relates directly to the incident rather than to the natural course of the service user's illness or underlying condition,

an impairment of the sensory, motor or intellectual functions of the service user which has lasted, or is likely to last, for a continuous period of at least 28 days,

changes to the structure of the service user's body,

the service user experiencing prolonged pain or prolonged psychological harm, or

the shortening of the life expectancy of the service user; or

requires treatment by a health care professional in order to prevent-

the death of the service user, or

any injury to the service user which, if left untreated, would lead to one or more of the outcomes mentioned in sub-paragraph (a).

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Regulation 20: Duty of candour - Care Quality Commission

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Our guidance explains how care providers can meet this requirement, which is one of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Its intention is to ensure that providers are open and transparent with people who use services and other ‘relevant persons’ (people acting…

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Reviews and investigations | Sands - Saving babies’ lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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GMC and NMC independent support - Victim Support

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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.

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Find out how to contact your midwife or GP to start your antenatal care in pregnancy, and read about the tests, checks and health advice you can expect, including information about reduced foetal movement.

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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National Perinatal Mortality Review | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Maternity and Neonatal Safety Investigations (MNSI)

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Maternity and Neonatal Safety Investigations (MNSI)

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The Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) programme investigates certain cases of:

early neonatal deaths, intrapartum stillbirths and severe brain injury in babies born at term following labour in England

maternal deaths in England.

Full details of what we investigate can be found below.

Babies

Babies who meet our criteria include all term babies born following labour (at least 37 completed weeks of gestation), who have one of the following outcomes:

intrapartum stillbirth

early neonatal death

potential severe brain injury.

We do not investigate cases where health issues or congenital conditions (something that is present before or at birth) have led to the outcome for the baby.

The definition of labour that we use includes:

Any labour diagnosed by a health professional, including the latent phase (start) of labour at less than 4cm cervical dilatation.

When the mother called the maternity unit to report any concerns of being in labour, for example (but not limited to) abdominal pains, contractions, or suspected ruptured membranes (waters breaking).

Induction of labour (when labour is started artificially).

When the baby was thought to be alive following suspected or confirmed pre-labour rupture of membranes.

This means that for us to investigate a maternity incident under the MNSI criteria, the mother must have been in term labour as defined by these conditions.

We do not investigate neonatal cases where the mother has not gone into labour. For example, when a caesarean section was performed before the mother had started having contractions or ruptured her membranes.

Intrapartum stillbirth

Where the baby was thought to be alive at the start of labour and was born with no signs of life.

Early neonatal death

When the baby died within the first week of life (0-6 days) of any cause.

Potential severe brain injury

Potential severe brain injury diagnosed as occurring in the first seven days of life, when the baby:

Was therapeutically cooled (active cooling only), or

Has been diagnosed with moderate to severe encephalopathy, consisting of altered state of consciousness (lethargy, stupor or coma) and at least one of the following:

hypotonia;

abnormal reflexes including oculomotor or pupillary abnormalities;

absent or weak suck;

clinical seizures.

We no longer routinely investigate cases involving therapeutically cooled babies where there is no apparent ongoing neurological injury following cooling therapy. This would usually mean a brain MRI showing no hypoxic damage (a type of brain injury that occurs when there is a disruption in supply of oxygen to the brain) and the baby demonstrating no ongoing neurological signs or symptoms. However, this remains as one of our criteria. NHS trusts should continue to refer cases to us. We'll decide which investigations proceed based on an individual baby's clinical outcome, after discussion with the family and the NHS trust.

Maternal deaths

We investigate direct or indirect maternal deaths of women while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy.

We may investigate some maternal deaths which do not entirely fit within these two categories.

We do not investigate cases where suicide is the cause of death.

Direct deaths

Direct deaths include those resulting from obstetric complications of the pregnant state (pregnancy, labour and after the birth), from interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment or from a chain of events resulting from any of the above.

Indirect deaths

Indirect deaths include those from previous existing disease or disease that developed during pregnancy, and which was not the result of direct obstetric causes but was aggravated by the physiological effects of pregnancy in the perinatal period (during or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy).

When we cannot investigate

Some maternity incidents that meet our criteria will have occurred before our programme began nationally in 2018, or within a period where the programme had not yet been implemented in the NHS trust where the incident took place.

There will also be some incidents with characteristics which fall close to, but not completely within, the scope of the MNSI criteria.

Due to specific conditions set out in the Directions that govern our maternity programme, we have no remit to investigate these incidents and the responsibility to complete the investigation remains with the local NHS trust.

We recognise that this may be disappointing for families who hope to see learning from their personal experience contribute to changes at a national level to improve maternity safety. Please have a look at our list of some of the other organisations who may be able to offer you help and support.

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The Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) programme investigates certain cases of: early neonatal deaths, intrapartum stillbirths and severe brain injury in babies born at term following labour in England maternal deaths in England. Full details of what we investigate can be found below.

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A baby who's stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy must by law be formally buried or cremated, although a funeral isn't legally required.

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, your local council won't charge you fees for a standard burial or cremation of a child.

Other fees, such a funeral director, flowers and memorial, will still need to be paid.

In England, the Children's Funeral FundOpens in a new window can contribute up to £300 towards any reasonable funeral costs such as the burial fees, cremation fees and a coffin, shroud or casket.

In Wales, there's also a £500 contributionOpens in a new window towards the funeral and other related costs such as floral tributes, plaques.

If you live in England or Wales and you are getting certain benefits, you can also apply for up to £1,000 Funeral Expenses Payment to help cover some of the other reasonable costs.

In Scotland, the average payment is £1,000 for contributionOpens in a new window towards any reasonable funeral costs you need to pay for such as the funeral service or funeral car.

In Northern Ireland, you can get up to £1,000 for reasonable funeral expenses for fees or items such as funeral director's fees, flowers, coffin.

If you're not using a funeral director, you can claim for some funeral expenses. Find out more on the GOV.UK website

The coronavirus outbreak has imposed serious restrictions on funerals, which makes organising a meaningful ceremony seem difficult. Find out more about what you can do on the Quaker Social Action website

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A baby who's stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy must by law be formally buried or cremated, although a funeral isn't legally required. If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, your local council won't charge you fees for a standard burial or cremation of a child.

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If your baby died before 24 weeks, there's no legal requirement to have a formal funeral.

The hospital staff will explain to you what they offer, and they should also give you written information. They will give you time to consider what you would like to do.

Alternatively, you can make your own arrangements for a funeral and/or burial or cremation. You might wish to consult a funeral director or a minister of your own faith.

The hospital chaplaincy team might also be a good source of information, advice and support, whether you have any religious beliefs.

You have the right to bury your baby's body or remains yourself. If you want to do this, you might need to make your wishes clear to the hospital staff or your GP as they might not be aware that this is legal.

For more information, visit Miscarriage AssociationOpens in a new window or SandsOpens in a new window

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If you have a late miscarriage | MoneyHelper

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If your baby died before 24 weeks, there's no legal requirement to have a formal funeral. The hospital staff will explain to you what they offer, and they should also give you written information. They will give you time to consider what you would like to do.

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After thirty years of service our very first National Director, Ruth Bender Atik is retiring and we are recruiting for a new CEO. Our next Chief Executive will have the full support of the trustees to develop the strategy that will take the Miscarriage Association through the next chapter of its journey, based on a [...]
Continue reading "

We are so thankful to everyone who contributes to Baby Loss Awareness Week. Sharing stories, raising funds and getting involved on social media - it all helps us to spread the word and raise awareness of the impact of miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancy. Crucially, you help us all create and maintain this special opportunity [...]
Continue reading "

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has updated its guidance for doctors on caring for people with recurrent miscarriage. They have also published a patient information leaflet. What is new? There is a change in the definition of recurrent miscarriage more consideration of the occasions where someone might be offered tests after two [...]
Continue reading "

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The Miscarriage Association:Pregnancy Loss Information & Support

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Learn about the Miscarriage Association, how to cope, and support those experiencing pregnancy loss. Access vital resources and information.

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Care for the Family is a national charity that aims to promote strong family life and to help those who face family difficulties.

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CRADLE Charity provide a range of services to support anyone affected by early pregnancy loss. Our team of volunteers provide peer support, raise funds for CRADLE fast track counselling and donate CRADLE Comfort Bags to the NHS, which are made available to women during their hospital care.

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Help us support others by donating to The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust

This last year, the EPT has seen a drop in donations. Help us to keep driving awareness, education and support to those through diagnosis, treatment and recovery by donating to our cause now. Every penny you donate will make a real difference!

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Information and support for anyone affected by ectopic pregnancy and other early pregnancy complications, and the healthcare professionals who care for them.

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Saying Goodbye- Support for Miscarriage and Baby Loss

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Saying Goodbye- Support for Miscarriage and Baby Loss

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We help people through one of the most painful times in life – with bereavement support, information and campaigning

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"Over the next 50 days, we need to raise £500,000 to ensure we can keep our services running for years to come." Lucy Harmer, CEO

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How are you feeling today?

Get tailored advice and information

Run, walk, cycle, swim or even roller-skate 149 km in a month and pledge to raise £149 to support grieving people.

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Grief can be overwhelming - you don't have to deal with it alone. Cruse Bereavement Support is here. Call our helpline or chat online.

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We help children, young people, parents, and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

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Established in 2012, and officially becoming a charity in 2013, the Mariposa Trust has grown to become a forerunner in support, services and as campaigner for change in the UK and globally. In 2014 the charity launched 'Mariposa International', a 501(c)3 not-for-profit in the US.
The aims of the Mariposa Trust remain as follows:

Creating global services of remembrance that allow people to grieve in a supportive environment;

Creating a comprehensive support structure, allowing people to access the support they need;

Improving the care and support of anyone going through loss;

Changing the taboo nature of baby loss, allowing for more open discussion, acceptance and support.

The Mariposa Trust

The Mariposa Trust has grown in the depth and breadth of its work, and now has six main divisions. The primary division is Saying Goodbye, which provides a global portfolio of support, as well as services of remembrance at Cathedrals around the world. In addition, there are five further support divisions: GrowingYou, Holding Hope, Waiting for You, Love in Every Tear and So Cherished.

The Trust is a Charity (1151108) and Company limited by Guarantee (8241785). It oversees and coordinates all UK and International operations and initiatives.

Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye is the primary division of the Mariposa Trust and provides support for anyone who is affected by baby loss, at any stage of pregnancy, at birth or in infancy, whether the loss be recent or historic. In addition, Saying Goodbye also provides support for people who are grieving never having children, and is at the forefront of campaigning for change, as a stakeholder with the Department of Health.

In addition to supporting tens of thousands of people each week, it runs the 'Saying Goodbye' services of remembrance at Cathedrals, Minsters and Abbey's globally.

The Charity Divisions

The charity has five further divisions,

GrowingYou offers support to anyone who is pregnant or considering pregnancy following loss.

Holding Hope provides support for people through are considering or going through fertility treatment.

Waiting for You provides support for people journeying through adoption.

Love in Every Tear supports people supporting others through loss.

So Cherished supports families who have received a terminal or life altering diagnosis over over their child.

Global... Baby loss knows no bounds, and can affect anyone, anywhere!

Baby loss is a global issue with around 30 million miscarriages each year, 2.6 million still births and 5.495 million neo-natal and early years losses. The Mariposa Trust is leading the way in providing better support for anyone going through loss, and in increasing awareness of the size and scale of the issue.

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The Mariposa Trust provides services and support for people who have lost children at any stage of pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy, be it last week or 60-years ago.

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The Mariposa Trust - Support for those who have lost children during pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy.

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Sands - Stillbirth and neonatal death charity

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© 2021 Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) Charity registration number 299679. Company Limited by Guarantee Number 2212082 * Scottish Charity Registration Number SC042789 * We also operate in Northern Ireland Registered address: CAN Mezzanine, 49-51 East Road, London, N1 6AH

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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We know that it can be a struggle to talk about how you're feeling after the death of a baby. We hope that by building trust and a common bond, by playing together as a team, many more will be able to break the silence about baby loss and help others to do the same.
Find out how you can get involved below.

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Sands United | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Sands United is a unique way for bereaved men to come together through a shared love of sport, find a support network, and feel at ease talking about their grief when they're ready. We know that it can be a struggle to talk about how you're feeling after the death of a baby.

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SiMBA Charity, Simpsons Memory Box Appeal

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We have closed Facebook groups specifically to support those affected by the loss of a baby, a group for men only, grandparents and those who wish to share their babies photos. The groups are available 24 hours a day, giving families access exactly when they need it. The groups are monitored by our trained page administrators on a daily basis. To join any of the groups please click on the links below.

Please note that these are not professional counselling groups but they are run by those who understand and are ready to support you.

If you would like any further information about any of SiMBA's support groups please give the SiMBA office a buzz on 0131 353 0055.

Join over 4000 crafters, share your creations and be part of the SiMBA Craft Group online community

Click here to join

Want to be kept upto date with all the latest news then look no further! Sign up here and we'll send you an email Newsletter that will keep you up to date with our latest news, projects and services. We'll never pass your details onto anyone else and you can opt out any time

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We have closed Facebook groups specifically to support those affected by the loss of a baby, a group for men only, grandparents and those who wish to share their babies photos. The groups are available 24 hours a day, giving families access exactly when they need it.

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The Butterflies Support Group is for anyone who has been affected by the loss of a baby.

The aim of the group is to support parents, families and friends through their grief by providing a listening ear, friendship, emotional and practical support and a safe and welcoming environment to share experiences.

Refreshments will be provided from time to time there may be visiting speakers and or other activities. You are welcome to come to the group just once, every month or whenever is helpful to you. There is no need to book although having an idea of numbers is useful.

The group will be led by RUH Lead Chaplain Reverend Narinder Tegally and Bereavement Support Midwife Bex Walsh.

The group takes place on the third Wednesday of every month from 9.30am to 11.00am in the Courtyard Room at the All Saints Centre in Bath.

If you have any questions about the group please call Narinder on 01225 824039 or
Bex on 01225 826886.

Venue:

All Saints Centre
Courtyard Room
High Street
Weston
Bath BA1 4BX

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Information Services Department, Royal United Hospital

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Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

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https://www.ruh.nhs.uk - Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

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MASIC-supporting women with injuries from childbirth

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MASIC-supporting women with injuries from childbirth

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Need advice? Please email Birth Injury Support at info@masic.org.uk or call 0808 1640 8333

We are advocates for women and aim to change the lives of those injured during childbirth.

Find out more

Who are MASIC?

MASIC exists to support women, challenge stigma and drive change.

The MASIC Foundation is the only multi-disciplinary UK charity to support women who have suffered severe injuries during childbirth known as OASI (Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries).

The charity is run by injured women and healthcare professionals who are committed to better detection and prevention of injury during childbirth.

Find out more

Women's stories

Breaking the silence. Read stories from MASIC advocates who have suffered injuries during childbirth.

Telling women's stories is the most important thing we can do as a charity. When women are brave enough to speak out, change happens. This page is dedicated to telling those stories, and to the women who have been honest and incredibly brave in sharing their experience.

If you have a story to tell we are dedicated to supporting you and making your voice heard.

Please email socialmedia@masic.org.uk and we will help you to tell your story.

Read more stories

Looking for support?

There is support available if you need it, don't suffer in silence and don't be afraid to ask for help and advice.

MASIC can help you over come the physical and emotional trauma you may have experienced during and after child birth. We can support you and guide you to helpful resources, all you need to do is get in touch.

Get Support

Not sure where to start?

Please call the MASIC 24h freephone Birth Injury Support Helpline 0808 1640 8333

My name is Luce. I'm a writer. A partner. A mum. And I had a difficult birth which left me thunderstruck, confused, sad, broken, and well, pretty angry. My reaction to birth trauma was unconventional. I wrote a book - a gory, funny, moving book - about the truth of it for me, what I saw and heard and felt as I gave birth and then coped with injuries, continence issues, depression, and trauma. I needed to speak out because traumatic births are often undiscussed. Recognition is important - we don't talk enough about births that aren't picture-perfect, as if they should be hidden in shame. Like MASIC, I'm here to say it isn't shameful. And don't worry - you have found your people. Like my book this website is a place for all of you - the entertainers, the shell-shocked, new mums and old hands - to share, process, or even just start to think about what is happening, and why googling 'birth trauma' or 'MASIC' late at night is a good thing. You are not alone.

85%

of women with severe birth injury said it impacted on their relationship with their child

78%

were affected by traumatic memories of the birth

52%

stated they were embarrassed by the symptoms of their injury

49%

of women affected said they doubted their ability to mother

45%

suffered postnatal depression as a result of their injury

24%

of women affected regretted having a child because of the injuries sustained

Meet the MASIC team

We are a collection of healthcare professionals & MASIC advocates, existing to give a voice to women's childbirth stories.

The Executive Board

We are led by a small and very experienced Executive team who are dedicated to improving outcomes for women with birth injuries.

Products that will help improve your life

Products that can help make everyday life a bit easier.

After sustaining a birth injury it is so important to know that there are products and services out there that can help make everyday life a little bit easier, and help you to feel a little bit more like YOU again.

We recommend the products here that have been tried and tested by our MASIC advocates - women who understand what it's like to cope with symptoms on a daily basis, and who know what has helped them.

Discover More

MASIC News

Keep up to date with all our latest news and stories

If you would like to be kept informed of MASIC's work and our most recent projects please click on our news items in this section and sign up to our MASIC mailing list.

We would love to hear from you if you are an injured woman or a health professional interested in working with us.

Read more stories

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Home - Aiming to change the lives of women injured during childbirth.

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MASIC supports women who have suffered injuries during childbirth; OASI, Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries, or 3rd degree & 4th degree tears.

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Creative therapy, peer support, weekly drop-in and meet-up sessions, for mothers dealing with depression, anxiety, isolation or overwhelm...

Creative Therapy Courses

Our courses offer creative therapy, support and advice in a safe, child-free space for you to work through worries and concerns, while gently creating a piece of art that you can be proud of. Mothers spend time, with other mothers, creating, talking, healing.

Shine Drop-Ins

Informal, welcoming and supportive group sessions in Cirencester, Swindon, Fairford and Dursley - for mothers wanting to reach out and find support from others going through similar feelings of isolation, anxiety, uncertainty or sadness.

""Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.""

- Roy T Bennett

TESTIMONIALS

"Shine saved me. There's no other way to put it. During a time when I could see no happiness in life, cried every time I had to go out in public, cried every day because my new parental world overwhelmed me, and the valiant efforts of various professional councillors seemed to have no effect; Shine was the one thing that made me happy." See the difference that our courses and support have made in the lives of over 400 women.

MEET OUR ARTISTS

Our wonderful community artists come from a range of backgrounds, from textiles and tapestry to poetry and mosaics. They are all women, and many are ex-Shine mothers with lived experiences of depression and anxiety.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

A monthly dose of seasonal and wellbeing inspiration, guidance and support, as well as what's on this month, books and podcasts we love, articles and stories that have moved us, a chance to meet one of our artists, crafts tips and more.

OUR STORIES

""It came like a thief in the night, almost in an instant, stealing my smile, an anxiety so deep it wormed its way into my very soul. I was devoured by postnatal depression and anxiety, and there was nothing I could do to escape it." Postnatal depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD come in many forms, and everyone's experience is different. We have shared some of our stories here to show you that you are not alone...

MEET OUR TEAM

We are supported by a wonderful team of volunteers, EX-Shine mums, inspiring women and devoted trustees who help make Shine possible every day. Hear about why we're so lucky to be a part of this community.

We are an entirely charitable organisation and the important work that we do is only made possible by the generous donations and grants we receive each year. If you want to support us you can do so by donating whatever you can via the link below, or, if you would like to discuss a more regular donation or a larger sum or funding commitment, we would love to hear from you.

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Our courses offer creative therapy, support and advice in a safe, child-free space for you to work through worries and concerns, while gently creating a piece of art that you can be proud of. Mothers spend time, with other mothers, creating, talking, healing.