The University Hospital in Coventry has opened a dedicated bereavement suite offering private, soundproofed, homely rooms for families after baby loss. Bereaved parents played a central role in fundraising—most notably Ceri and Billy Key, who raised £25,000—while other local campaigns contributed additional funds. Located separately from the labour ward, the suite aims to protect privacy and provide a kinder environment for grieving families.
New Bereavement Suite at Coventry Hospital Offers Private, Homely Space for Families After Baby Loss
Ceri Key (left) and her husband, Billy (right) delivering the £25,000 cheque to the hospital [Ceri Key]
The University Hospital in Coventry has opened a purpose-built bereavement suite designed to give families who lose a baby privacy, comfort and dignity away from the main maternity areas. The new facility aims to create a calmer, more homely environment where parents and relatives can grieve and make memories in private.
A Space Designed With Families in Mind
Located away from the labour ward, the suite features high-level soundproofing, a separate entrance and two bespoke rooms furnished with sofas, artwork and other comforts donated or funded by bereaved families. The rooms are intended to feel like home and to allow families the space to be together without the added distress of nearby newborns and busy ward activity.
Fundraising and Community Support
Central to the project were local families who experienced baby loss and helped raise money for furnishings and artwork. Ceri and Billy Key, who lost their son Rufus in October 2020 after a silent placental abruption and HELLP syndrome, led a campaign that raised £25,000 toward the suite.
"We hope they never need to be used. But I know that if families do have to sadly say goodbye to their baby, this is a more appropriate and kinder environment in which to make those memories," said Ceri Key.
Other local fundraisers include Emma and Jordan Fellows, who raised £18,000 after the loss of twins Freddie and Frankie, and Miesha Virdi, who raised more than £4,700 following the death of her daughter Aria from non-immune late onset Hydrops Fetalis (NIHF).
Voices From the Hospital
Mara Tonks, Director of Midwifery at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, described the opening as an emotional milestone: "I don't think any of us expected it to be such a beautiful space that it has turned into – the families felt how different their care would have been if they had a facility like this."
Why It Matters
Many bereaved parents report that being placed on busy postnatal wards with living babies can intensify grief and distress. The new suite aims to prevent those additional harms by providing privacy, dignity and an environment more suited to bereavement care.
Support
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, support is available through BBC Action Line and other local and national bereavement services. Family and community fundraising played a key role in creating this suite, and hospital staff say it will improve care for bereaved families for years to come.
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