CALLS FOR NHS HEALTH BOARDS TO IMPROVE MISCARRIAGE SUPPORT

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West Dunbartonshire’s MP Martin Docherty-Hughes is calling on NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board to improve support for those who have experienced miscarriage.

The local MP is backing a campaign by the SNP’s Angela Crawley for all health boards in Scotland to sign up to the Miscarriage Association’s Pregnancy Loss Pledge.

By signing the pledge, employers commit to a higher pregnancy loss standard to ensure that employees going through what can be a very difficult or traumatic time get the support and time off they need.

Already, 11 health trusts in England and Wales have signed up to the initiative but, so far, none of Scotland’s 12 regional health boards have.

The call comes ahead of the second reading of the Miscarriage Leave Bill in the House of Commons, due later this month. The Private Members’ Bill, brought forward by Angela Crawley MP, seeks to introduce a statutory right for three days paid leave in the event of a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy.

One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, however, under current legislation, workers are only entitled to paid bereavement leave following a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

As a result, families across the country are forced to rely on their employer’s good will or sick leave to allow them to grieve their loss.

SNP MPs have been campaigning for the UK government to give all parents the legal right to paid leave if a miscarriage occurs before 24 weeks.

Commenting, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP said:

“I know many families in West Dunbartonshire and beyond who have experienced the pain of pregnancy loss.

“Miscarriage can be a traumatic experience but it’s not an illness. Parents shouldn’t be forced to take sick leave to grieve their loss.

“The Miscarriage Association’s Pregnancy Loss Pledge seeks to improve the care and support that is available to those who have experienced miscarriage.

“It’s an important campaign which I’m proud to support. I hope NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and all of Scotland’s health boards commit to the Pregnancy Loss Pledge.”

SNP MP Angela Crawley added:

“Hundreds of businesses, both big and small, have already signed up which means thousands of workers across the UK know that they will be supported by their employer should they experience miscarriage.

“I would encourage every health board in Scotland to take the Pregnancy Loss Pledge to ensure that their employees are supported through what can be an incredibly tough time both mentally and physically.

“Not only will this enhance their current policies for staff who experience bereavement but they will also be doing their bit in tackling the stigma associated with miscarriage.”

For more information on the Pregnancy Loss Pledge, visit https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/information/miscarriage-and-the-workplace/the-pregnancy-loss-pledge/

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