A new report by the Miscarriage Association has revealed that women experiencing miscarriage are facing additional trauma due to a significant lack of adequate follow-up care. One patient described her experience as 'dehumanising', while others reported feeling dismissed and traumatised by the current system.
The research, based on over 1,000 individuals across the UK, found that nearly two-thirds of women felt their follow-up care was insufficient. More than four in 10 of those who sought mental health support after losing their baby did not receive it. Some women reported being sent home with little or no guidance, or with conflicting advice.
Access to services such as early pregnancy units and scans was inconsistent, and a 'recurring theme was a lack of dignity', with some women left without basic care like sanitary pads. One woman claimed she was told her baby 'had been put in the incinerator with the rest of the medical waste' while recovering from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
Vicki Robinson, chief executive of the Miscarriage Association, said: 'Too many women and their partners are being failed by a system that is inconsistent, unequal and too often dictated by chance or circumstance.' Labour MP Sarah Owen added: 'It's shocking to hear their stories of being treated with such insensitivity by trained healthcare providers.'
The report, supported by MPs and broadcaster Myleene Klass, calls for routine follow-up care, extended opening hours at early pregnancy units, more bereavement support, and the right to bereavement leave in workplaces. Klass said: 'Pregnancy loss is not a niche issue... We must listen to those with lived experience and make miscarriage care a priority.'
