Celebrating the Jubilee Room Reception: A Leap Toward Healthier Beginnings

Jaskiran Kaur Gill

Public Policy|Southampton Specialist Policy Officer (Medicine) 

In a significant leap towards a healthier future for mothers and children across the UK, the Palace of Westminster’s Jubilee Room Reception on 17 January 2024, marked the launch of the ‘Preconception Care Strategy' report. The event aimed to shed light on critical issues highlighted in the report. These issues include only 27% of expectant mothers reporting the use of a folic acid supplement before getting pregnant, and major concerns about the high prevalence of iodine insufficiency in 1 out of 10 UK women before conception, linked to a 7-point lower IQ in their children. These underscore the profound impact of parental well-being and health behaviour during the preconception period on both pregnancy and child development.

The 'Preconception Care Strategy' report painted a vivid picture of the challenges faced by prospective parents in England. It emphasises the substantial proportions of stillbirths, preterm births, and impaired growth which are linked to socioeconomic and behavioural factors during the preconception period. Women living in deprived areas face higher risks, with increased chances of pre-existing mental health conditions and smoking around conception. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) remains largely unrecognized, affecting a significant number of individuals due to prenatal exposure to alcohol.

However, the Jubilee Room Reception was not merely a platform to highlight these issues; it was a catalyst for change and a call to action that sought to address the gaps in preconception care within the UK's health policies. The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including parliamentary and non-parliamentary representatives, senior practitioners, researchers, policy advisers, and CEOs from non-profit organisations advocating for maternal and early childhood development policies. The event kicked off with insightful speeches from the lead authors of the report, Prof. Keith Godfrey, Prof. Judith Stephenson, and Prof. Eric Steegers. Prof. Eric Steegers spoke in his capacity as researcher who has delivered policy change in his native country, The Netherlands, highlighting the need for local and national government to jointly promote an inter-agency model. He highlighted the initiatives required from various stakeholders to make preconception care a reality. Ngawai Moss spoke movingly about her experience as a patient, and as a mum-to-be underscoring the transformative impact of preconception care ‘done right’.

Attendees reported gaining diverse perspectives on the topic and brainstormed valuable ways to tackle health inequality based in part on the policy brief The Benefits of Promoting Preconception Care in the UK, and complimented by an editorial review on how current evidence informs policy and practice for pregnancy health. The significant contribution of Prof. Eric Steegers' sharing his expertise in implementing preconception care strategies in The Netherlands, was a valuable to the discourse, evaluating the overall quality of the discussions.

The day’s earlier Women’s Health Summit held by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) echoed similar sentiments. The Health Secretary's emphasis on prioritising maternity care and supporting mothers enduring trauma, coupled with a new £50 million investment through a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) programme, marked a pivotal moment in advancing women's health. The key role of preconception care was recognised for the first time in the 2024 Government Priorities for Women’s Health, promising “a greater focus on preconception and postnatal care for women”. This synchronicity called for a unified approach to women's health, recognizing the importance of preconception and inter-conception care as integral components of an overarching health policy.

The Jubilee Room Reception has already set in motion the next steps. There is a focused effort to involve the media to amplify the themes emerging from this event and the Women’s Health Summit. Additionally, there is an intention to engage with DHSC to ensure that preconception care becomes a priority in the government's agenda for future actions.

As we celebrate the success of the Jubilee Room Reception, we envision a future where preconception care is not just a consideration but a fundamental component of the UK’s health and well-being policies. The event has laid the foundation for a healthier, more equitable society, recognizing the long-lasting impact of proactive preconception care on the well-being of mothers, children, and the nation as a whole. With momentum building, the path towards comprehensive preconception care in the UK is now better understood by policymakers and prospective parents alike

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