Perinatal loss support is accessible via a simple phone call
24 Sep 2025
The grief of perinatal loss—from early miscarriage to stillbirth or neonatal death—can be devastating. Each year, around 150,000 women in Australia experience the loss of a developing or newborn baby.
Often, it is a GP who helps patients navigate this profound loss. To support GPs and their patients, Rural Health Connect (RHC) offers a Perinatal Grief and Loss program that is available to families no matter where they live in Australia, despite the service being based in a rural area.
RHC has been running its program for about a year, providing fully bulk-billed sessions with psychologists via phone or video calls. The service supports anyone experiencing perinatal loss, including partners and family members, and is designed to be culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people living in rural and remote areas.
According to RHC Clinical Lead and psychologist Sharon Varela, many patients have not shared their grief with family or friends, and having access to someone they can talk to in a safe space has been life-changing. She highlighted the important role GPs play in referring patients to the service.
“The GP becomes the cornerstone of really good care,” Ms Varela said. “Our partnerships with GPs ensure clients are safe and receiving the care they need, and they can always contact us if needed.”
The program now has over 400 registered psychologists, most working in private practice, with more joining regularly. The service does not discriminate based on the type of loss, how long ago it occurred, or the gender of the person affected.
RHC’s Perinatal Grief and Loss program helps GPs offer their patients multidisciplinary care and ensures families have professional support through one of life’s most difficult experiences.
For more information, visit the Rural Health Connect website.
Source: Rural Health Connect, 2025
