October 2023 – Update Newsletter
Purple Letters – Timelines
By now, you will probably all be aware of the change in methodology from ‘opt in’ to ‘opt out.
You will probably also know about the purple letters that we have recently sent out to over 1000 families explaining this change and what this means for the Independent Review. If you have any questions about your letter, please do get in touch with us. We will be running extended hours of office coverage until Sunday 15th October. During this time, the office will be open 0700-1700 Monday to Friday, 0900-1700 Saturday, and 1000-1600 Sunday. so if you have any questions about the purple letter, please do ask us!
Baby Loss Awareness Week 2023
Baby Loss Awareness Week runs across the world from 9th-15th of October every year and aims to support bereaved families and raise awareness of the issues surrounding baby loss.
Many buildings and businesses will be lighting up pink and blue during the week to raise awareness around this vital issue that affect families right across the world. At our offices in Chichester we will be lighting up pink and blue all week, and will be changing our social media and website to match. The week will end with the Wave of Light, where people across the world will light a candle in memory of their babies and post it online. Can you help us raise awareness by lighting up your homes and your Twitter for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2023?
Please remember that there will be increased coverage on social media surrounding baby loss/baby death, as more families will be sharing their individual stories. This can often be very challenging for those that have similar experiences. As families in the Review, you can receive help from our specialist psychological support service, Trent FPSS, at any time -you can read more about this service here
You can also find out more about BLAW 2023 here
When will you receive your family feedback?
We have been getting quite a few questions recently about when families within the review will be receiving their family feedback.
We will be providing all families their feedback at the end of the Review, which is now anticipated to be in September 2025. Although this may seem like a long time to wait, this is so that we can be sure that all of you will be receiving the most accurate and best quality reviews of your experiences as possible. When my Team and I were reviewing Maternity Services in Shrewsbury and Telford, in the last 6 months of the Review, the Trust found a vast amount of maternity documentation in temporary storage, which meant that we had to reopen hundreds of cases, in some occasions, changing their case review significantly, as a direct result of this.
Waiting until the end of the Review to give you all your individual feedback is the best option.
If you have any questions regarding this, as always, please do contact us.