Miscarriage Care and Facilities in Scotland: Scoping Report NHS Fife

Miscarriage management and information

The Lancet series on Miscarriage Matters stated that women should be presented with the available evidence about miscarriage management and be free to choose the management approach that suits their needs and preferences.

Choice of management option

All Health Boards in Scotland reported that they ensure that women can choose their preferred method of management of miscarriage. However, the geography in Scotland has implications for women in terms of how they can access their chosen approach.

Written information

All Health Boards in Scotland said that they provide written information about the treatment options for the management of miscarriage and what to expect in terms of miscarriage care. However, not all sites where women may present for miscarriage care said that they provide written information on treatment options or what to expect.

In NHS Fife, Victoria Hospital stated that the same pathway of care for miscarriage treatment is used across all departments on the site. All miscarriage guidelines are available on the intranet for the Health Board to aid decisions for referral (Table 14).

Victoria Hospital reported that written information about management of miscarriage and what to expect next is currently provided to all women experiencing miscarriage. Written information about mental health and bereavement support is also provided on site at Victoria Hospital.

Information about management options

As well as written information, Victoria Hospital agreed that what will happen during and after the chosen method of management of miscarriage and what happens in terms of follow-up after the management of miscarriage is fully explained to women. However, this was done once the pathway of care for the Health Board had been followed and the patient was at the site that would offer treatment for miscarriage (Table 15).