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Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health, made the visit to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health, visited Tommy's National Centre for Preterm Birth Research, hosted by Imperial, as well as Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, to learn more about work to prevent babies being born too soon. 

Baroness Merron met scientists from the research centre at Imperial, as well as frontline staff and a patient treated in one of the clinics at the hospital, which is run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.  

Imperial’s Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology hosts the Preterm Birth Research Centre as part of Tommy's strategic goal to grow evidence and improve care through scientific research.  

A collaborative research centre comprising King’s College London, University of Leeds, Queen Mary University of London, UCL and led by Professor Catherine Williamson from Imperial’s Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, the Tommy’s Centre is the first of its kind in the UK looking into research specifically targeting the causes of preterm birth and alleviating its worst effects. 

Marking Baby Loss Awareness Week

Baroness Merron’s visit during Baby Loss Awareness Week took in the hospital’s Early Pregnancy Unit and the Centre for Fetal Care – a specialist centre for people who have previously experienced complications during pregnancy.  

She also went to the hospital’s Rainbow Clinic, which provides expert care and support for women and families going through pregnancy after losing a baby. The first was set up by Tommy’s in Manchester in 2013, and the model has since been rolled out 32 sites around the UK. Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital opened its Rainbow Clinic earlier this year, with funding from Imperial Health Charity through . 

Baroness Merron said: “It was an honour to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week alongside Tommy’s and Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital. Meeting the incredible staff and patients at the Hospital and seeing the vital care Rainbow Clinics showed me this is exactly the kind of innovation and support that families need during some of their most difficult moments. 

“I will continue to work with organisations like Tommy's to advance our understanding of baby loss and to ensure that no one faces these challenges alone.” 

Professor Phillip Bennett, Acting Head of Imperial’s Department of Metabolism Digestion and Reproduction, said: "We were honoured to welcome Baroness Merron during Baby Loss Awareness Week and appreciate her commitment to understanding the challenges families face.

"At Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research, we are working to uncover the biological causes of miscarriage and develop better treatments and support systems. Her visit highlights the importance of translating scientific discovery into compassionate care, and we are proud to be part of a national effort to improve outcomes for women and their babies.”

Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of Tommy’s, said: “Baby Loss Awareness Week is a time when we come together to remember much-loved babies who will never be forgotten. 

“We were proud to mark it with Baroness Merron by showing her the impact Tommy’s is having for all those affected, both through our research into premature birth and our vital work to support families living with pregnancy and baby loss. 

“We are grateful to her for taking the time to hear from our researchers and clinical staff about the progress we've made, as well as the changes we know are still needed to save more babies’ lives.” 

Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of , said: “We were very pleased, alongside Tommy’s, to welcome Baroness Merron to Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital during Baby Loss Awareness Week. 

“The Baroness visited our outstanding maternity services, meeting teams dedicated to pioneering research and specialist care for women, families and their babies. We were particularly proud to be able to show her our recently opened Rainbow Clinic - a calm supportive space where we support families navigating a new pregnancy after experiencing the loss of a baby.” 

Imperial also hosts Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research, led by Professor Phillip Bennett, Acting Head of Imperial’s Department of Metabolism Digestion and Reproduction.  

Image credits: Jo Mieszkowski