AN MP who suffered the death of his baby son is backing a campaign to get better bereavement care.

Baby Loss Awareness Week took place this week and during this time, families from all over the world have been commemorating the lives of their babies.

Colchester MP Will Quince and his wife, Elinor, suffered the loss of their son, Robert, who had Edward’s Syndrome and was stillborn in 2014.

Earlier this year, new laws which ensure bereaved parents are given time to grieve were named in honour of Robert.

In May, the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill, which aims to create a legal entitlement of at least two weeks leave and pay for parents, cleared its final Commons hurdle with unanimous support and was known at Robert’s Bill.

Mr Quince said: “As a bereaved parent myself, on entering Parliament and working with colleagues from all parties, I set up the Baby Loss All Party Parliamentary Group with a clear aim of reducing stillbirth and neonatal death, and ensuring we have world-class bereavement care across our NHS.

“Sadly, 15 babies die every day in the UK before, during or after birth. One baby dying is one baby too many.

“I’m pleased to say we now have Government commitments to reduce stillbirth and neo-natal death by 20 per cent by 2020, and 50 per cent by 2025, and we are on track to achieve those aims.

“No parent should have to deal with their loss in silence.

Too often pregnancy and baby loss are taboo subjects, but bereaved parents and their families and friends deserve recognition and support.”

The Sick Children’s Trust, a charity supporting families in free accommodation when they have a seriously ill child in hospital, is also supporting the campaign.

On average, two million children in the UK require hospital treatment each year.

They often have to be transferred to specialist hospitals far from home to receive criti - cal medical treatment.

Joy Darling, head of operations at The Sick Children’s Trust, said: “Sadly many of the families we support have babies who never make it home. However, we are working towards a future whereby every parent with a seriously ill baby never has to be more than a few moments from their hospital bedside.”

Visit https://babylossawareness.org/