George’s Law

My story

I unfortunately suffered three miscarriages over the course of three years. The first was an early miscarriage at six and a half weeks in 2020. After my ectopic pregnancy in 2021, I discovered that under current UK law, parents who lose a pregnancy under 24 weeks are not legally entitled to any bereavement leave. At the time, I had been following developments in New Zealand, where a law was passed offering both parents three days’ statutory leave following baby loss under 24 weeks. Saddened by this disparity, I drafted a baby loss policy, which my firm enacted in December 2021.

In September 2021, I began IVF treatment. One embryo survived: my son, George. In March 2022, my waters broke unexpectedly. Despite health professionals’ best efforts, George was born sleeping on 3 March. I was the first to use the baby loss policy I had initiated. This personal tragedy reaffirmed my belief that legal change was urgently needed to provide protection and compassion to other families in similar circumstances.

Statistics

The statistics are stark: one in five pregnancies in the UK ends in loss. Research shows that around 250,000 miscarriages and 11,000 hospitalisations for ectopic pregnancies occur annually. Despite these numbers, a stigma around pregnancy loss persists, and many workplaces still lack appropriate training or support. A Fertility Matters survey found that only 1.7% of respondents felt their workplace had policies that met their fertility-related needs. Too often, people are expected to carry on at work as though nothing has happened, with no time to grieve, no recognition of their pain, and no tailored workplace support. This highlights the urgent need for legal and cultural change.

George’s Law: the parliamentary journey

Motivated by my experience and by the stories of other grieving parents forced to return to work immediately, I sought to create change. In June 2022, Angela Crawley MP agreed to meet with me and, on 6 July, the Miscarriage Leave Bill was introduced to parliament. It proposed that parents who lose a pregnancy before 24 weeks be entitled to at least three days’ paid leave, mirroring the existing law in New Zealand. Sadly, the Queen’s death delayed the Bill’s second reading until March 2023 and, thereafter, it fell away.

Undeterred, I joined various committees and liaised with MPs and the Business Secretary in a bid to amend the Parental Bereavement Act 2018. During this time, a number of companies including Channel 4, Monzo, Barking and Dagenham Council and Abel & Cole publicly adopted their own baby loss policies. This momentum added pressure for a systemic change.

My work campaigning industries and politicians reached a milestone on what would have been George’s third birthday, 3 March 2025, when the Labour government announced it would amend the Employment Rights Bill to allow two weeks’ paid leave for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. This reform is expected to benefit around 250,000 families each year, providing them with space to grieve and recover without the added stress of returning to work immediately. The timing of the announcement made the milestone especially moving, and I felt George’s memory honoured in a truly meaningful way.

Beyond legislative change, I have continued to advocate across the legal profession for firms to implement policies that go beyond the statutory minimum. Many law firms have since adopted compassionate leave provisions. I’ve also worked with international colleagues to raise awareness and push for global change. In the healthcare sector, I campaigned for reform after learning of midwives who experienced miscarriages while delivering babies. In October 2024, the NHS introduced a baby loss policy offering ten days’ paid leave for affected staff.

To encourage further engagement, I co-developed a free training programme with Briefed for employers, offering practical guidance on supporting employees affected by pregnancy loss. I’ve also delivered talks across the globe on mental health and bereavement in the workplace, helping to bring baby loss out of the shadows and into the public domain.

In memory of George, I’ve raised over £100,000 for Abigail’s Footsteps, a Kent-based charity supporting baby loss counselling and providing cold cots to hospitals and hospices. These cots allow grieving families to spend more time with their babies after they have passed.

George’s Law is expected to receive Royal Assent in Autumn 2026. 

Keeley Lengthorn is a Partner and the Head of Public Law, London at RWK Goodman.  Keeley is one of the UK’s leading baby loss campaigners and founder of George’s Law, which offers statutory legislative protection to families who lose a baby under 24 weeks gestation.

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