Paid leave for staff who suffer miscarriage will be NHS first

NHS workers who suffer a miscarriage before they are six months pregnant will be given paid time off work as part of new guidelines.

Staff and their partners will be entitled to additional leave to process their grief under NHS England’s new National Pregnancy and Baby Loss People Policy Framework, which was issued to hospitals on Wednesday.

Experts said the move sends a “powerful signal” that people impacted by baby loss “deserve understanding, compassion and the right to grieve”.

For the first time in the NHS, women who suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy will be offered up to 10 days paid leave.

If a member of staff’s partner loses a baby, they will be offered up to five days paid leave.

The framework also asks NHS trusts to give staff paid time off to attend appointments including for medical examinations, scans and tests, as well as mental health-related interventions.

Those who return to work after a miscarriage will be offered occupational health support, which could include a referral to a specialist within their trust.

NHS staff who miscarry after six months of pregnancy will remain eligible for paid maternity leave.

Dr Navina Evans, chief workforce, training and education officer, said: “Baby loss is an extremely traumatic experience that hundreds of NHS staff experience each year, and it is right they are treated with the utmost care and compassion when going through such an upsetting experience.

“We know the significance of getting support right in the very first instance for our staff, which is why, for the first time in the healthcare sector, we are providing paid leave so parents can take time out to process this traumatic experience as well as paid time to attend appointments.”

Dr Evans added that she hopes the formal guidance will inspire other sectors to “adopt such supportive approaches to miscarriage in their own organisations”.

Kath Abrahams, chief executive of baby loss charity Tommy’s, said: “Pregnancy loss can take a huge toll on women and birthing people, both physically and mentally. Their partners may also be profoundly affected.

“As the largest employer in the UK, the NHS is sending a powerful signal that staff going through this experience deserve understanding, compassion and the right to grieve – and that support is possible, no matter what your workplace looks like.”

Health minister Maria Caulfield added: “Our brilliant NHS workers look after us when we need it most and this new guidance is a positive step towards ensuring they are supported through the tragedy of losing a baby.

“It means doctors, nurses and their partners will now be entitled to additional leave to help process their grief, which is crucial to their long-term mental health and wellbeing.”

Ms Caulfield said the framework “delivers on key recommendations made in the Pregnancy Loss Review” and forms part of the Government’s drive to improve women’s health through its Women’s Health Strategy.

The new policy was trialled at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust, where a staff survey revealed workers were twice as likely to remain with their employer as a result.