Wishart welcomes new bereavement suite at the Gilbert Bain Hospital

Shetland’s MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat Beatrice Wishart has welcomed the Gilbert Bain’s new bereavement suite for families suffering early pregnancy loss.

Ms Wishart lodged a parliamentary motion to welcome the suite, named Northern Star, and praise the work undertaken to create it by NHS Shetland and Sands, the UK’s leading baby loss charity.

Wishart previously met with Marie Manson, Sands’ Chair in Shetland, and supported the national campaign by Louise Caldwell from East Kilbride for dedicated baby loss spaces in hospitals across the UK. Ms Wishart previously highlighted the campaign in a speech on women’s health in the Scottish Parliament, as well as submitting a parliamentary motion on the need to prioritise dedicated care for perinatal loss.

Ms Wishart said:

“The Northern Star will make a big difference to families in Shetland suffering early pregnancy loss.

“Designed to create a private and peaceful space, the suite has a separate entrance and exit from the main maternity ward and is created to have a less clinical feel, with colour and soft furnishings.

“The care that has been taken in the creation of this space is evident and I pay tribute to the hard work of NHS Shetland staff and Marie Manson from Sands, the baby loss charity, in making this possible.

“The suite will not change the nature of sadness caused by such a loss, but I hope that the care taken to provide greater compassion will help ease the pain for families in need of the service.”

ENDS
Notes to editors:

The text of Ms Wishart’s motion welcoming the new suite is below:

New pregnancy loss bereavement suite at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Shetland

That the Parliament welcomes the opening of a new bereavement suite for parents experiencing early pregnancy loss at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland; understands that the suite, named Northern Star, was designed in collaboration with Sands, the UK’s leading baby loss charity, to provide a peaceful and private space away from the main maternity ward; further understands the suite includes a bedroom and shower facilities designed with colour and soft furnishings to give the room a less clinical feel and has a separate entrance and exit, meaning families do not have to use the main door into the maternity department; praises the work of maternity and estates staff at NHS Shetland along with Sands’ representative in Shetland Marie Manson and the NHS Shetland Board for creating a compassionate and caring space for families experiencing early pregnancy loss and believes that the suite will make an important difference to families undergoing early pregnancy loss in Shetland.

Ms Wishart’s speech during the Women’s debate can be found here.

Ms Wishart’s motion to prioritise dedicated care for perinatal loss can be found here.