Decision

A vote was taken on a motion from Councillor Helene Leeming (unanimous) and motion was carried as follows:

“Council notes:

1. Every year, families across South Cambridgeshire experience the devastating loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death.
2. A survey carried out by local bereaved parents, supported by the stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, gathered evidence on care experiences of maternity services.
3. The findings highlight concerns from parents of gaps in meeting National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) standards, particularly regarding soundproofing, the unsuitable location of delivery unit bereavement rooms, a lack of private space on the early pregnancy unit, and insufficient specialist bereavement nurse capacity on Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
4. Many bereaved parents face long-term trauma due to limited access to follow-up care and specialist mental health services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Council believes:

1. Every bereaved parent, regardless of gestational stage or unit location, deserves compassionate, dignified care in a private, quiet environment away from sound and sight of live births.
2. Healthcare facilities and mental health follow-up care must be properly funded and structured to support all parents, including fathers, partners, and non-birthing parents, through their grief journey.

Council resolves:

1. To request that the leader write to Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to request reassurance that where concerns are identified they will take appropriate steps to bring in short-term improvements, such as soundproofing current bereavement spaces and creating parent-accompanied protocols, alongside long-term plans to relocate delivery unit bereavement suites to more discreet, quiet areas.
2. To request that the Leader write to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board (ICB) urging them to allocate dedicated funding for a specialist Neonatal Bereavement Nurse, expand access to the Perinatal Trauma and Loss Service for all bereaved parents and partners, and ensure clear mental health referral pathways in primary care networks.”