Information following an elective termination

We apologise if this leaflet reaches you at a bad time. However, we feel it is important for you to know how our Trust will handle the remains of your terminated pregnancy.

What is an elective termination?

An elective termination is a termination of pregnancy for mainly social rather than medical reasons.

How does the Trust handle products of conception?

Unless the mother tells us otherwise, all fetal tissue will receive a communal cremation. This involves individual losses being cremated together at Thanet Crematorium on the last Thursday of each month*.

If you wish to attend the service, please contact the Chaplain’s Office to find out which month your loss will be included.

• Chaplain's Office
  Telephone: 01843 234273

Please note that following the communal cremation, ashes are not returned to parents. Ashes are scattered in the Baby and Child area of St John’s Cemetery (next to Thanet Crematorium). 

It is your personal choice whether you attend this ceremony. There is no obligation whatsoever for you to do so. The ceremony is completely confidential. No names are read out aloud or published in any way.

The hospital chaplains are available should you wish to talk with them. Their contact telephone numbers are listed at the end of this leaflet.

*Should this fall on a public holiday, the ceremony will normally take place on the last working day before at the same time and place. We recommend that you confirm this with the hospital chaplains.

And finally...

Elective termination is a sensitive subject to raise with patients who are experiencing many kinds of emotions. We hope that this leaflet has been helpful to you during this difficult time. We are always looking to improve the care we give to parents and families like yourselves, no matter how and at what stage the pregnancy ended. We welcome any comments - positive or negative - that you may have on the help and support we have offered during your time of loss. We wish you well for the future and assure you of our continuing care and concern.

Contact details

• Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury

  • Chaplaincy Office                                           
    Telephone: 01227 864095

  • Bereavement Support Officers                    
    Telephone: 01227 864006

  • Women’s Health Counsellor
    Email    

  • Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
    Telephone: 01227 783145

• Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital, Margate

  • Chaplaincy Office
    Telephone: 01843 234273

  • Bereavement Support Officers                    
    Telephone: 01843 234452

  • Women’s Health Counsellor
    Email                        

  • Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
    Telephone: 01227 783145

• William Harvey Hospital, Ashford

  • Chaplaincy Office                                           
    Telephone: 01233 633331 extension 723-8014

  • Bereavement Support Officers
    Telephone: 01233 616887

  • Women’s Health Counsellor 
    Email                        

  • Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
    Telephone: 01227 783145

• Other helpful contacts

  • Antenatal Result and Choices (ARC)          
    Telephone: 0207 713 7486

  • MSI Reproductive Choices UK                    
    Telephone: 08453 008090