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Tomorrow (11 September 2019) we announce that Petals will temporarily be suspending our operations in Addenbrookes and the Rosie Hospitals as local NHS funding bodies are unable to meet the cost of the service.

In the last year alone, Petals saw 320 clients in Cambridge with an average of 97 sessions per month for women and couples provided by 5 counsellors. Parents who received this support had experienced a range of tragic circumstances including miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal loss. With local demand for this service on the increase, the charity had requested funding from the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) so that it could ensure a sustainable presence in the hospital. However, senior decision makers at the hospital Trust and CCG have rejected the charity’s appeal to provide the remaining funds needed.

Chief Executive and Petals’ Founder, Karen Burgess said, “Parents who experience the death of a baby have unique psychological requirements, due to the nature of the grief and trauma they suffer. These needs cannot be met by traditional perinatal mental health teams, which is why maternity units such as Ipswich Hospital’s are currently using some of their budget to outsource this service to Petals.

We are disappointed that NHS leaders in Cambridge will not be taking responsibility for funding this vital service at this time, particularly as their colleagues in Suffolk and North Essex have made that commitment.  We want to reassure bereaved parents that we are doing everything we can to gain a sustainable funding source for the service so we can get up and running again as soon as possible”.

Petals will continue to take emergency referrals via health professionals in the Cambridge area whilst our ongoing funding is addressed. Parents referred to us prior to 11 September 2019 will be unaffected by this announcement.

If you have any personal questions or concerns about this announcement, please contact us via [email protected]

Update: Please show your support for reinstating the Petals service in Cambridge by clicking HERE. Thank you.