Aching Arms responds to Baroness Hallett's report into Module 3 of the Covid-19 Inquiry published today.

19/03/2026

Today, Baroness Hallet published her report on Module 3 of the Covid-19 Inquiry. This is the module in which Aching Arms, alongside 12 other pregnancy, baby and parenting organisations, were Core Participants.

First and foremost, we want to thank you, our community. Because of you, we were able to have a voice in this Inquiry.

Thank you to every member of the Aching Arms community who responded to the Inquiry’s call for evidence, shared your experiences with us, or supported our work. Your contributions ensured we could speak up for bereaved families and their babies.

We welcome the Inquiry’s recognition of the challenges faced by those who were pregnant during the pandemic, bereaved parents and their families, and the NHS maternity frontline healthcare professionals.

Central to our evidence were the experiences of women and birthing people who, due to strict visitor restrictions, received difficult news alone during antenatal appointments, and those pregnant again after loss who attended appointments and early labour without their partner with them for emotional support.

The report acknowledges that, “Visiting restrictions meant that some women had to face alone news of pregnancy complications and potential health issues concerning their child. This included partners not being able to accompany pregnant women to antenatal scans, when there may be difficult news such as the loss of a baby.”

We wholeheartedly support Baroness Hallet’s recommendation that, “As a general rule, parents should not be seen as visitors but as an essential part of care and support of a child.”

At Aching Arms, we remain determined to continue advocating for the bereaved community. We will do this through our health professional training and our commitment to raising awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss on mothers, fathers and partners. The loss of a baby during pregnancy, birth or shortly after is devastating and requires specialist, timely support for the whole family.

We call on the Government, NHS Trust leaders and all health professional partners to ensure that today, tomorrow, and during any future pandemic, both parents, their babies and their families are placed at the heart of all maternity care decisions.

Read the Aching Arms press release here. 

« Back to News