A BEREAVEMENT midwife has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award recognising outstanding care for families affected by pregnancy loss and the death of a baby.

Fay Martin, pictured, from the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has been named a finalist for the Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care 2026, presented by baby loss charity Sands.

The award recognises midwives, nurses and other healthcare professionals who provide exceptional care and support to bereaved parents during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Fay was nominated by a bereaved mother who wanted to recognise the compassion, kindness and support she received during and after the birth of her twins.

In her nomination, the mother described Fay’s support as instrumental in helping her family through an extraordinarily difficult time.

‘She supported us through the most devastating decisions and moments of our lives with dignity, honesty and respect’, she said, adding that Fay ensured the twins were ‘spoken about, treated as individuals and remembered with care’.

She said she did not believe she would have been able to get through the period without Fay’s support, from the earliest stages of fetal medicine through to the termination for medical reasons.

Bereavement midwives play a vital role in helping families navigate pregnancy and baby loss, offering emotional support while also helping parents make complex and deeply personal decisions.

Fay said it was a privilege to be part of families’ memories of their babies and stressed the importance of providing individualised care.

‘Families will remember every detail of the time spent with their baby’, she said. ‘Being part of that memory is a privilege and it is so important that we do everything we can to meet the needs they may not yet know they have’.

She added that listening and creating a safe space for families were central to her role, alongside reassuring parents that their emotions were valid and normal in such difficult circumstances.

Fay said the nomination reflected the relationships that develop between bereavement professionals and families as they navigate loss and grief.

The winner of the Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care 2026 will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament in London in September.