Response 840854185

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Introduction

3. Please tell us whether you are providing a submission as an individual, health professional or on behalf of an organisation

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Individual
Health Professional
Organisation

6. In which State or Territory do you live or does your organisation operate?

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Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australian
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australian
National

7. The Department of Health would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing response.

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(Required)
Publish response (your email address will not be published but all other answers, including your name, will be published)
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About the document

8. Is the language used in the Plan appropriate and easily understood?

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Yes
No

9. Is the vision appropriate for the Plan?

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Yes
No

10. Is the overarching goal appropriate for the Plan?

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Yes
No

Priority Area 1 - Ensuring high quality stillbirth prevention and care

13. Are the action areas appropriate for Priority Area 1: Ensuring high quality stillbirth prevention and care?

Please select one item
Yes
No

14. Are the goals appropriate for Priority Area 1: Ensuring high quality stillbirth prevention and care?

Please select one item
Yes
No

15. Are the implementation tasks appropriate for Priority Area 1: Ensuring high quality stillbirth prevention and care?

Please select one item
Yes
No

16. Please outline any changes you consider should be made to the existing action areas, goals or implementation tasks that would be relevant to and Priority Area 1: Ensuring high quality stillbirth prevention and care.

(answer in dot point format, maximum 200 word)
*targeting high risk mothers( ie those who have already had a stillbirth) through a state
managed data base.
*in the early stages of pregnancy providing a checklist for the parents outlining stillbirth
preventative measures: carbon monoxide testing, prevention of Strep disease, midwife
continuity of care, anxiety issues, monitoring of foetal movements, urine culturing for
bacteria
*upon confirmation of the pregnancy there should be immediate psychological
intervention and support, FREE of charge, to the parents and continuity of care between
this health professional and the parents to be.
*minimal waiting in emergency rooms...high risk mothers should be prioritised.

Priority Area 2 - Raising awareness and strengthening education

18. Are the action areas appropriate for Priority Area 2 - Raising awareness and strengthening education.

Please select one item
Yes
No

19. Are the goals appropriate for Priority Area 2 - Raising awareness and strengthening education?

Please select one item
Yes
No

20. Are the implementation tasks appropriate for Priority Area 2 - Raising awareness and strengthening education?

Please select one item
Yes
No

21. Please outline any changes you consider should be made to the existing action areas, goals or implementation tasks that would be relevant to and Priority Area 2 - Raising awareness and strengthening education.

(answer in dot point format, maximum 200 words)
*stillbirth is still a taboo subject as people don't want to talk about it or don't know how to
respond to a stillbirth
*prime time advertisements on TV should be more open and frank regarding stillbirths
and should incorporate the willingness of 'still' parents who wish to share their story/
journey
*providing 'at risk' parents with the latest information.
* establishing prenatal classes for these high risks parents as ordinary classes cause them
sadness, anxiety and distress.

Priority Area 3 - Improving holistic bereavement care and community support following stillbirth

23. Are the action areas appropriate for Priority Area 3 - Improving holistic bereavement care and community support following stillbirth?

Please select one item
Yes
No

24. Are the goals appropriate for Priority Area 3 - Improving holistic bereavement care and community support following stillbirth?

Please select one item
Yes
No

25. Are the implementation tasks appropriate for Priority Area 3 - Improving holistic bereavement care and community support following stillbirth?

Please select one item
Yes
No

26. Please outline any changes you consider should be made to the existing action areas, goals or implementation tasks that would be relevant to and Priority Area 3 - Improving holistic bereavement care and community support following stillbirth.

(answer in dot point format, maximum 200 words)
* from my personal experience the bereavement care for fathers is totally lacking...they
are so often forgotten and generally have to return to work while still fragile and
grieving
* on-going financial support for bereaved parents
* a state data base of parents who had stillbirths would allow for ongoing support, not
only for the first 12 months ( which is often the case) but for another 3 years for those
parents suffering 'intense distress'
*updating and regular training for birthing staff in the setting up and utilising of 'cool
cots'
* a simple checklist, for the parents, of bereavement support. Bears of Hope and The
Stillbirth Foundation were made aware to the parents of my stillborn granddaughter.
However, no one told us about Angel Gowns or Heartfelt and the only baby photos
were taken ,by a staff nurse and my daughter on a mobile phone. This has caused us a
lot of grief.
* Also, could a care package be given to the parents containing tiny baby clothes as we
had nothing and had little time to find any clothes for the baby.

27. Please identify any additional action areas, goals or implementation tasks that would be relevant to Priority Area 3 - Improving holistic bereavement care and community support following stillbirth.

(answer in dot point format, maximum 200 words)
* Greater need for male counsellors and male trained staff to support bereaved fathers as
it is obvious that there is a large void in this area. Respectful and sensitive welfare
checks/touching base with bereaved fathers in their work place.
* Bereavement care ,from my experience, is mother-centred. In my case,no members of
the immediate family were provided with any form of support..... yet I spent the first 7
months, after the stillbirth, being my daughter's carer as she was unable to return to
work and could not be left alone, each day,as she was depressed, suicidal and fragile.
Her partner had no choice but to return to work in order to pay the mortgage.

Priority Area 4 - Improving stillbirth reporting and data collection

28. Are the action areas appropriate for Priority Area 4 - Improving stillbirth reporting and data collection?

Please select one item
Yes
No

29. Are the goals appropriate for Priority Area 4 - Improving stillbirth reporting and data collection?

Please select one item
Yes
No

30. Are the implementation tasks appropriate for Priority Area 4 - Improving stillbirth reporting and data collection?

Please select one item
Yes
No

31. Please outline any changes you consider should be made to the existing action areas, goals or implementation tasks that would be relevant to and Priority Area 4 - Improving stillbirth reporting and data collection.

(answer in dot point format, maximum 200 words)
* a state wide data base which tracks the mother to allow for continuity of reporting and
data collection.
*having 'still' parents trying to fill out a birth certificate for their stillborn baby without any support was truly heartbreaking. Assistance through Birth, Death and Marriages with a qualified staff member, in a private and caring environment, would have been a positive step.

Priority Area 5 - Prioritising stillbirth research

33. Are the action areas appropriate for Priority Area 5: Prioritising stillbirth research?

Please select one item
Yes
No

34. Are the goals appropriate for Priority Area 5: Prioritising stillbirth research?

Please select one item
Yes
No

35. Are the implementation tasks appropriate for Priority Area 5: Prioritising stillbirth research?

Please select one item
Yes
No

36. Please outline any changes you consider should be made to the existing action areas, goals or implementation tasks that would be relevant to Priority Area 5: Prioritising stillbirth research.

(answer in dot point format, maximum 200 words)
*On going ,financial State and Federal government input for stillbirth research.