Dandelion Room opens offering improved bereavement care to women and their families

29 January 2024

Work to create a dedicated labour room for women following the death of a baby has been completed at University Hospital in Coventry.

The room, which has been called the Dandelion Room, is fully soundproofed and the first part of the plans for a bereavement suite offering a private, quiet space for mothers, partners and families.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust carried out the development as part of ongoing efforts to improve bereavement care.

Chief Nursing Officer, Tracey Brigstock, said: “We do all we can to support families when they experience the death of their baby.

“Our staff understand how difficult this is and endeavour to provide empathetic and sympathetic care, empowering and enabling the woman and her partner to spend as much time with their baby as they would like.

“We listened to feedback from patients and know how important this facility will be in us being able to provide the most compassionate care.”

Plans for the rest of the suite, which will be away from the Labour Ward, are being drawn up and costed.

A number of kind-hearted people who have experienced bereavement have helped fund the developments.

They include Neonatal Nurse Emma Fellows, who endured the grief of losing twins Freddie at 22 weeks and Frankie just 13 days short of his due date.

Together with husband Jordan, they raised £18,000 by climbing Snowdon and hosting a fundraising night with the help of midwives and support workers.

Some of the money has been used to buy items such as LED candles, coffee mugs and artificial plants to give the soundproof room a ‘homely touch’.

UHCW Charity Director, Jo O’Sullivan, added: “Everyone at UHCW really appreciates the efforts of fundraisers in helping further improve the experiences of our families.”

More than 5,000 babies are born at UHCW each year and the Maternity Department is a regional specialist centre for difficult or complex pregnancies, with an average of at least one stillbirth per month.