About Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit

In 2022, the Sands and Tommy’s came together to form a Joint Policy Unit. Together we are focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes.  

Report: Better board oversight needed to save babies’ lives 

The safety and quality of maternity and neonatal services are the responsibility of the board in each NHS Trust. However, board oversight has been highlighted as an issue in successive inquiries and reviews.  

We reviewed publicly available board papers and minutes for seven NHS Trusts in England to analyse whether the information presented to boards, the process for review, and actions taken enabled boards to deliver on this responsibility.  

Our findings across these three areas raise questions about boards’ ability to have a full understanding of the performance of maternity and neonatal units under their direction under the current system.  

Download the report.

Read our blog on HSJ.

Saving babies’ lives 2023: A report on progress 

The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit is focussed on achieving policy change so that fewer babies die, and inequalities in baby loss eliminated. 

This report brings together data from different sources for the first time to show the extent of pregnancy loss and baby death across the UK. Outlining recent trends and evidence, as well as gaps in our understanding, it sets out key areas where action is required to reduce rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth and neonatal death. 

This is not a one-off report – we will continue to provide independent oversight of progress, and are committed to working with government and policymakers to secure change that will save more babies’ lives in the future.

Download the summary report
Download the full report*
Download the infographic 

*The stillbirth rate and extended perinatal mortality rate for Wales was updated in August 2023. In the original publication in May 2023, the infant mortality rate for Wales was incorrectly entered as the stillbirth rate.

Find out more:

For more information about the Joint Policy Unit, please contact: 
Robert Wilson, Head of Joint Policy Unit: robert.wilson@sands.org.uk 

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