Brief
UK health secretary apologises for historic burial of stillborn babies
Yvette Cooper said the government regrets the pain caused by past NHS practices that placed stillborn infants in communal graves.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a "profound apology" in the House of Commons for the historic practice of burying stillborn infants in mass graves, a policy that affected families for decades.
Between the 1930s and the early 1980s, more than 1,000 stillborn babies were interred without parental consent at three cemeteries in the Wirral – Frankby, Plymyard and Landican – and a further 270 are believed to rest in a burial ground in Royton, Oldham. Parents were often left unaware of where their infants were buried, creating long‑term trauma.
Cooper told MPs, "On behalf of the government, I want to issue a profound apology to them… I am sorry for the unthinkable pain caused by those historic practices, because what happened to those parents should never have happened and we need to ensure it can never happen again." She added the apology was personally addressed to campaigner Gina Jacobs, whose son Robert was stillborn in 1969 and whose grave was unknown for 53 years.
Jacobs told ITV News that receiving the apology felt "like a lottery win" after years of campaigning, and that it brings "dignity and respect to these babies". In July, Liverpool City Council unanimously passed a motion urging a parliamentary apology, describing the historic handling of stillborn babies as "a cruel violation of human dignity".
Local councillor Kris Brown, who introduced the motion, said the apology would help families achieve closure, but warned that words alone must be backed by action to prevent any recurrence.
Key facts
- More than 1,000 stillborn babies were buried in mass graves in the Wirral between 1935 and 1981. (theguardian.com)
- An additional 270 stillborn infants are believed to be buried in Royton, Oldham. (theguardian.com)
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a formal apology in the House of Commons on 14 October 2026. (theguardian.com)
- Campaigner Gina Jacobs, whose son died in 1969, received the apology after 53 years of uncertainty. (theguardian.com)
- Liverpool City Council passed a unanimous motion in July urging a parliamentary apology. (theguardian.com)
Sources
- [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “UK government apologises for past burials of stillborn babies in mass graves”
