Health minister visits Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital
We were delighted to welcome Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health, to Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital and Tommy's National Centre for Preterm Birth Research during Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Baroness Merron met researchers, frontline staff and a patient during her visit to the hospital's oustanding maternity services and the attached Tommy's centre which is led by Imperial College London. This included visiting the Early Pregnancy Unit and Centre for Fetal Care – a specialist centre for people who have previously experienced complications during pregnancy. She also went to the hospital’s Rainbow Clinic, which provides expert care and support for women and families going through pregnancy after losing a baby.
The first Rainbow Clinic was set up by Tommy’s in Manchester in 2013, and the model has since been rolled out 32 sites around the UK. Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital opened its Rainbow Clinic earlier this year, with funding from Imperial Health Charity through Poppy’s Fund.
In the Rainbow Clinic, the Baroness met Carly Hodgson. Carly very sadly lost her daughter Poppy, who was stillborn in 2017. She and her family were supported by a bereavement team at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, which helped them come to terms with what happened. They went on to have two further children and worked with Imperial Health Charity to help other families, including fundraising for the clinic.
Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We were very pleased, alongside Tommy’s, to welcome Baroness Merron to Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital during Baby Loss Awareness Week.
“The Baroness visited our outstanding maternity services, meeting teams dedicated to pioneering research and specialist care for women, families and their babies. We were particularly proud to be able to show her our recently opened Rainbow Clinic - a calm supportive space where we support families navigating a new pregnancy after experiencing the loss of a baby.”
Kath Abrahams, chief executive of Tommy’s, said: “Baby Loss Awareness Week is a time when we come together to remember much-loved babies who will never be forgotten.
“We are grateful to her for taking the time to hear from our researchers and clinical staff about the progress we've made, as well as the changes we know are still needed to save more babies’ lives.”
Baroness Merron said: "It was an honour to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week alongside Tommy’s and Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital.
"Meeting the incredible staff and patients at the jospital and seeing the vital care Rainbow Clinics showed me this is exactly the kind of innovation and support that families need during some of their most difficult moments.
"I will continue to work with organisations like Tommy's to advance our understanding of baby loss and to ensure that no one faces these challenges alone."
