On Wednesday 17 January, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, announced wholesale changes to the care of women during pregnancy following the tragic case of a young woman in Hyndburn. The announcement was made at the inaugural Women’s Health Summit, hosted by The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Jess Cronshaw, an Accrington teacher, sadly passed away after suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) during pregnancy. She was 28 weeks pregnant and lost her baby, Elsie. Jess’ family, her partner, and friends started a campaign to change the way women with HG were treated and pushed for greater mental health support for women during pregnancy.
The campaign is supported by the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support and Hyndburn MP Sara Britcliffe, who in July 2023 brought the matter before the House of Commons in a Westminster Hall debate.
Now, the Department for Health and Social Care has announced specialist maternal care units will be set up across England by March. In giving the announcement, the Secretary of State, Victoria Atkins, referenced Jess’s case, telling the summit “pregnancy and birth can take an enormous mental and emotional toll, particularly if a woman is having to deal with physical illness too. This was demonstrated in the case of a young woman who passed away when extreme pregnancy sickness left her unable to eat, drink or complete daily tasks.”
The move means that women across England will have access to specialist maternal mental health support when pregnant, and that women who struggle with conditions like HG will be able to access advice, support, and guidance from professionals.
Commenting, Sara Britcliffe said:
I am so happy that through their tireless work and by bringing Jess’ story to Parliament, Jess and Elsie’s family have made a difference and created change for all women who suffer from HG in the future.
The announcements today mean that pregnant women up and down England will be able to access specialist maternal mental health services from March, which is a huge improvement from the situation we were in before.
There is still more to do and we need to raise more awareness of HG specifically, and I will keep working with the family and organisations like Pregnancy Sickness Support to do that.
