This Baby Loss Awareness Week and always, we remember every baby who has died and stand with every family living with loss 🤍 It has been a hugely significant year for maternity - from the Ockenden and Amos reports published, to the Thirlwall Inquiry, progress towards a National Maternity Commissioner, and new reviews beginning in Leeds and Sussex. Through all of this, lived experience must be at the heart of change. 📢 Next week, a debate on Baby Loss will be held in the House of Commons. Email your MP and ask them to take part on 12th Oct: writetothem.com/ We owe it to every baby lost and every family left grieving to listen, learn and make maternity care safer.

A busy day few days of meetings in Westminster with maternity care and women’s health at the heart of the conversations 👇 I met with Women’s Health Ambassador Dame Lesley Regan to discuss maternity in the wider women’s health agenda and Sian and Lauren from @CuddleCot to talk about stillbirth and how outdated systems can add to the trauma families face after losing a baby. I also met with @nmcnews in my role as National Maternity Adviser to discuss ongoing improvements, future reviews and maternity care here in Nottinghamshire. Lots to take forward, and I’ll continue pushing for lasting improvements across maternity care!

England’s first Maternity Commissioner to be enshrined in law 📢 I am incredibly proud to have played a leading role within Government in making this happen. A Maternity Commissioner will not solve every problem in maternity care, but creating a powerful, independent voice - established in law - is a historic step forward. The Commissioner will champion mothers, babies and families, represent frontline staff and bring together charities, campaigners and professional organisations to make maternity care safer. For too long, families have had to fight to be heard, while frontline staff have not always been listened to or supported. This role must turn their experiences into action and ensure that uncomfortable truths can never again be ignored. This is deeply personal to me. I have listened to families whose lives have been changed forever, and promised that their courage and campaigning must lead to lasting change. A permanent voice. A statutory responsibility. A lasting legacy for every mother, every baby and every family. A promise that maternity safety will remain at the heart of every Government.