AN MP has been recognised for raising awareness of bereavment issues.

Antoinette Sandbach, MP for Eddisbury, has been named by stillbirth and neonatal deaths charity Sands as one of the volunteers hailed in its #Sands40 campaign.

Ms Sandbach –whose constituency covers Malpas and surrounding villages – has been recognised for her work as co-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss, to raise issues for bereaved families and push for substantive improvements in awareness and support, including championing the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP).

"I feel honoured to have been recognised alongside the other amazing Sands volunteers, whose commitment and dedication are vital to the work of the charity," she said.

"I see this award as a recognition of the work done by all my colleagues on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Baby Loss. The loss of a child is a terrible experience, but I hope that these awards are a reminder to everyone that support and help is out there."

The NBCP, which was rolled out nationwide during this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week (October 9 – 15), helps professionals to support families in their bereavement after any pregnancy or baby loss, be that miscarriage (including ectopic and molar pregnancy), termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly (TOPFA), stillbirth, neonatal death or sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI).

Representing a partnership between national government, charities, and local NHS bodies, the NBCP provides documentation and training to professionals together with independent evaluation to ensure that all health professionals – and other colleagues whose work touches the pathway on which parents find themselves – are adequately equipped to provide excellent bereavement care.

Ms Sandbach added: " I am hugely grateful to Sands, not only for the award but also for the work they do every day to change policy and improve lives.

"It has been a pleasure to work with them to develop the National Bereavement Care Pathway and I look forward to working further with them in the coming year."

Ms Sandbach lost her five-day-old son Sam to sudden infant death syndrome in 2009.

Clea Harmer, Sands chief executive, said that the MP has championed the NBCP, ensuring that the vision of the pathway had the right support and resources to become a reality.

"However, without her additional support, time, energy and compassion, which has been volunteered in abundance, none of this would have been possible,” she added.

The #Sands40 initiative is being held to mark Sands' 40th anniversary.

For more information about the NBCP, visit http://www.nbcpathway.org.uk/.