Sands' Chief Executive Clea Harmer has been confirmed as a member of the new Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary.
She will serve as Chair of Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Group. The taskforce also includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, and academics who collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.
"I am honored to be invited to join the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce as Chair of Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Group, and I look forward to working with the other members and with bereaved families to ensure that meaningful change happens.
"Sands and other charities and groups have been highlighting and campaigning about the need to address failings in maternity and neonatal care for many years. It is a privilege to be working with so many organisations representing the voices and needs of bereaved parents and families.
"This Taskforce needs to be the start of the fundamental change that we all need to see so that babies' lives are saved and inequalities based on ethnicity and deprivation are reduced. This is a unique opportunity to ensure that safe, personalised maternity and neonatal care of an excellent quality is both given and received."- Sands' Chief Executive Clea Harmer
The news comes as a further £25 million boost has been unlocked for NHS Trusts to tackle the leading causes of maternal death, enhance their bereavement facilities and improve triage services for women who experience unexpected complications during their pregnancy.
Whilst this funding is welcome we look forward to seeing the details of how it will be used to improve care.
NHS Trusts are already rolling out the Maternal Care Bundle – which Sands helped to develop - that sets out best practice standards across five areas of care that tackle the leading causes of maternal death epilepsy, haemorrhage and mental health. To enable Trusts to implement the Bundle by the end of this year, a further £5 million will be invested to support the roll out.
"I ordered an independent national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to make sure families harmed by maternity care get the truth and accountability they deserve.
"Baroness Amos will deliver on this vital work this June but to deliver truly meaningful change — so that other families do not face the ordeals too many are already enduring — we must be ready to act swiftly.
"This 17-strong taskforce will start work straight away, so we will be ready to drive improvement from the moment the investigation’s recommendations are published.
"At the same time, we’re continuing to invest millions in schemes that are working to deliver safer and more equitable maternity care to benefit families today."
- Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Full details of the membership of the taskforce are available on the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) website.
Find out more about the national maternity and neonatal investigation in England.
Support for you
Here at Sands, we know that talking about pregnancy and baby loss can be difficult. Please know that you are not alone, and there are people who understand and whom you can speak to in confidence.
Sands Helpline
t: 0808 164 3332
e: helpline@sands.org.uk