About

This website is specific to the Republic of Ireland and is aimed at supporting parents bereaved through pregnancy loss and perinatal death and at healthcare professionals who care for parents and families bereaved through pregnancy loss. It does this by signposting parents to support and professional services. It directs healthcare professionals to professional supports, clinical care pathways and education programmes.
Please note that this website is not an interactive forum and is not monitored.
Background
The Health Service Executive (HSE) National Incident Management Team (NIMT) 50278 (2013) recommended that providing bereavement care is an integral part of a maternity service. The Executive concluded that it should have a consistent approach to bereavement care in all the 19 Maternity Units in Ireland.
The National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death were developed following this year of consultation and discussion.
The National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death were launched by Health Minister Simon Harris in August 2016.
Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist in CUMH was appointed as National Implementation Lead for the Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. Rióna Cotter was appointed, for a two year period, as Programme Manager and the implementation programme commenced in March 2017.
The implementation process was facilitated by a 14 member National Implementation Group (NIG) comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals who have experience and expertise in the area of pregnancy loss and perinatal death.
As part of the implementation brief the NIG was committed to developing a national website which would be used as a resource specifically for parents bereaved through pregnancy loss and perinatal death and the healthcare professionals who care for them.
Vision
This website was developed for the sharing and dissemination of the documents produced by the National Implementation Group (NIG). This website will assist health care professionals delivering bereavement care in accessing up to date, accurate information and advice.
The website does not provide a public forum to answer questions or facilitate open conversation.
The website is a repository for patient information with links to all of the support groups and parent advocacy groups working within the area of pregnancy loss.
It is also a repository for patient care documentation that staff can use e.g. patient information leaflets.
Contact details for the Bereavement Teams are available in each of the 19 Maternity hospitals to ensure that parents have access to the necessary support teams and services in each hospital.
This website will be managed by the Pregnancy Loss Research Group, UCC in partnership with Irish Hospice Foundation. The website will be reviewed regularly by a Steering Group, with representatives from the management team and members of the development team.
Website Management Group (2022 - Present)
Professor Keelin O’Donoghue
Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Former National Implementation Lead
Marita Hennessy PhD
Researcher
Ms Rióna Cotter
Midwife, Former Programme Manager for Implementation
Dr Amanda Roberts
Irish Hospice Foundation
with the support of the Oversight Group for the National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death (until December 2022) and the Advisory Group for the National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death (May 2023-).
Website Management Group (2019 - 2021)
Professor Keelin O’Donoghue
Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Former National Implementation Lead
Ms Rióna Cotter
Midwife, Former Programme Manager for Implementation
Rev Daniel Nuzum
Healthcare Chaplain
Anna Maria Verling
Bereavement Clinical Midwife Specialist
Dr Karen Mc Namara
Locum Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Anne Doolan
Consultant Neonatologist
Ms Christine O’Brien
Parent Representative
Dr Amanda Roberts
Irish Hospice Foundation
Ms Caoimhe Byrne
Marketing & Communications Officer INFANT
Dr Sarah Meaney
Social Researcher