Miscarriage Care and Facilities in Scotland: Scoping Report NHS Tayside

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.

Sites in NHS Tayside reported that all management options are carried out in Ninewells Hospital only.

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 Tayside, Perth Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital both stated that the same pathway of care for miscarriage treatment is used across all available departments, while Arbroath Infirmary stated that losses in the second trimester have a different package of care (Table 14). All miscarriage guidelines are available on the intranet for the Health Board to aid decision for referral.

Information is not currently provided at Arbroath Infirmary, with patients receiving written information once transferred to the Ninewells Hospital which is approximately 19 miles from Arbroath Infirmary.

Information about management options

As well as written information, what will happen during, after and in terms of follow-up after the management of miscarriage was explained to women in all 14 NHS Health Boards. 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.

Within NHS Tayside, Ninewells Hospital strongly agreed that women were provided with full explanations about what would happen during their chosen method of management, after the chosen method of management and in terms of follow-up. Arbroath Infirmary and Perth Royal Infirmary neither agreed or disagreed as they do not provide patients with this information at their sites. Ninewells Hospital and Perth Royal Infirmary both agreed that women are free to choose their preferred management approach based on their needs and preferences, while Arbroath Infirmary neither agreed or disagreed (Table 15).