The background of NBCP
The National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) for pregnancy and baby loss was first launched in 2017.
As of 2024, every NHS trust in England has now signed up to the Pathway to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care received by parents after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
Developing the Pathway
NBCP England
Initially funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, and with the backing of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss, the Pathway has been led by Sands, working closely with a Core Group of partners consisting of baby loss charities and professional organisations.
Following a call for evidence, draft pathways were created on the basis of good practice across the country. Subsequently 32 healthcare settings (predominantly hospitals) in England piloted the pathway and evidenced real changes for parents and professionals in their trusts.
An independent evaluation was carried out by Fiveways, and two reports were published. You can read the Wave One Final Report (2018) and Wave Two Final Report (2019) via the links.
Following the outcome of the independent evaluations, in 2019 the NBCP was then rolled out across England, based on a set of nine bereavement care standards.
As of August 2024, all 128 NHS England Trusts with a maternity unit have publicly committed to adopting the nine standards in the NBCP.
Following consultation with stakeholders, in November 2024 Sands updated the nine bereavement care standards to ensure they remain relevant for healthcare professionals in England. The nine standards for bereavement care can be accessed here.
NBCP across the UK
NBCP Scotland is funded by Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with Sands. All 14 NHS Scotland Health Boards have joined the programme as part of the Best Start Programme. An independent evaluation of the work in Scotland was published in September 2024 and can be accessed here.
The NBCP in Northern Ireland was launched in October 2024, with Sands and the Public Health Agency chairing the Steering Committee. The shared vision is to create a set of five bereavement care pathways that are aligned with those currently in use in England and Scotland but that are Northern Ireland specific with the voices of local families at the core of each pathway.
Sands is working with partners in Wales to develop national pathways and look forward to sharing further news. Keep an eye on our Latest News page for updates.
“For me personally, most helpful was the kind approach to us as parents… Almost everyone we met spoke with utmost respect and expressed their condolences to us.”
Bereaved Parent
“Truly hope this becomes a national standard that bereaved parents will benefit from. as I cannot express how much it has helped us navigate through this most difficult time.”
Bereaved Parent on the NBCP
Register Your NHS Trust to NBCP
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