New miscarriage care model could prevent over 10,000 losses annually
A woman from Kent is calling for changes to how miscarriages are handled
Pregnancy charity Tommy's is urging the NHS to adopt its "Graded Model of Miscarriage Care" following a successful pilot aimed at reducing pregnancy losses. The model promises to prevent over 10,000 miscarriages each year by offering support immediately after the first pregnancy loss.
Current practice typically involves investigations only after three miscarriages, leading to inconsistent access to services.
Tommy's model provides support from the first miscarriage, allowing earlier identification of risk factors and medical conditions contributing to pregnancy loss.
Women participating in the pilot benefitted from one-to-one consultations after their first miscarriage, with progesterone offered in future pregnancies if indicated by early bleeding. The model escalates care with blood tests, reassurance scans, and specialist clinic referrals after further miscarriages.
Key pilot findings showed women receiving graded care were less likely to experience another miscarriage compared to the standard NHS approach, with medical conditions and risk factors identified earlier. Notably, 86% of women had at least one identifiable risk factor versus 58% under normal care, and both patients and healthcare professionals reported high satisfaction with the model's delivery.
Tommy's estimates that implementing the model for a year could save over £40 million across the UK, considering reduced NHS costs and wider societal impacts. With Scotland integrating the model into its miscarriage care pathway, Tommy's advocates for similar implementation across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Charlotte Brown, a woman from Kent who has had five miscarriages in the past year and a half, called for the study's findings to be implemented.
She told us:
"The physical toll that it takes on your body is one thing, but the mental toll is another.
When you combine them, and you don't like get the physical care either, it's prolonging the experience that you want to be over and done with.
"And mentally you've got to go through that all over again. Like it's hard.
"And I know some women will really struggle like talking about it and stuff like that, but I personally think it is good to talk about it. It doesn't need to be a taboo thing. You don't need to hide it. It happens to so many people.
"But with something so common why is there not the research and support behind it as well?"
The Government's Women’s Health Strategy for England includes a commitment to reviewing Tommy's pilot results for potential NHS implementation, fostering hope for consistent miscarriage care nationwide.