New service for women who experience early pregnancy loss
A new Bereavement Nurse has been appointed at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), to help support women and their families who experience a pregnancy loss up to 18 weeks gestation.
The Bereavement Nurse will work alongside the Bereavement Midwifery Team who provide support to families experiencing losses from 18 weeks onwards.
This new post is one of only a handful across the country and has been funded for five years by the Chloe Blossom Foundation. The Chloe Blossom Foundation was created in memory of Chloe Blossom Matthews, who was born on 2 May 2021. The foundation was formed to support other parents and families who sadly find themselves at such a heart-breaking time in their life.
Feedback from patients had highlighted the need for this role, as previously there has been a lack of support for women and their families following their loss. The role will deliver the care these families need and improve the quality of the bereavement service the Trust can provide.
Louise Harper has been qualified for nine years and has seven years’ experience working in a range of roles in Gynaecology and is now the dedicated nurse looking after bereaved women and their families. She is the main contact for others in the hospital and works closely with colleagues in Chaplaincy, the Bereavement Office and Mortuary. Part of her role is to share best practice about how to support bereaved families and to support nurses who work on the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) and Cley ward. Within this role, Louise also supports women who have experienced ectopic pregnancies and a termination of pregnancy.
Louise Harper, Gynaecology Bereavement Nurse, said: “As a Trust we’ve shown a commitment to the National Bereavement Care Pathway, which aims to equip staff to provide the best possible bereavement care to patients and families. The quality of care bereaved families receive when they experience a pregnancy loss can have lasting effects. This role allows me to provide 1:1 dedicated time with families, be a point of contact, provide emotional support and give patients the time to grieve. My role is also about providing follow up and signposting to other local and national sources of support.
“It is a privilege to be in this role and I feel really proud to be able to provide patients and families with the best possible care during such a difficult and devastating time. This new role is a positive change for Gynaecology.”