New East Lancashire Labour MP Andy MacNae has spoken in Parliament about the loss of his five-day-old daughter.

He called for more action to tackle preventable baby deaths and more support for bereaved parents.

Rossendale and Darwen backbencher Mr MacNae spoke in a special debate on the issue in the House of Commons' second Westminster Hall chamber, called by Ashfield MP Lee Anderson.

Addressing bereaved families in the public gallery, he said: "I speak as the father of a daughter called Mallorie, who we lost at five days, so I share your experiences.

"We have heard about the number of losses, and that every loss is a personal tragedy.

"We have also heard that every loss is not inevitable. Up to one in five stillbirths and neonatal deaths are preventable.

"In 2015, the then government announced an ambition to halve the rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths by 2025 but, sadly, progress on delivering on that ambition has stalled.

"Without renewed action, we are going to fall well short.

"According to the 2022 perinatal mortality report, black babies are more than twice as likely to be stillborn as white babies and black and Asian babies are more than 50 per cent more likely to die shortly after birth compared with white babies.

"Research by baby loss charity Sands has explored the reasons for that inequality and is calling for specific actions to deliver positive, joined-up, empathetic maternity and neonatal care.

"I urge our new government to support those actions.

"Baby loss charities are highlighting wider areas where improvements could help to prevent baby loss, including greater consistency in ensuring that maternity services meet nationally agreed standards and guidelines.

"We know what needs to be done but we need to implement it,

"Linked to that is the need for maternity units to be properly staffed. Nearly a third of neonatal intensive care unit shifts are not properly staffed.

"We must look to our new government to ensure a safe maternity care system in which national guidelines are consistently followed.

"But sadly, even with the best care and support, many families will still suffer the pain of baby loss.

"Effective bereavement support can be crucial in helping families to come to terms with their loss. Again, I speak from personal experience in that regard.

"Despite wonderful work done by charities—I want to mention the Friends of Serenity in my area of Rossendale and Darwen, and Burnley—and by NHS trusts, far too many bereaved parents cannot access the compassionate care that they need.

"Healthcare professionals across the UK do not have sufficient access to bereavement care training."