THE Health Department has said it will review how women with possible ectopic pregnancies are cared for after an Islander required emergency surgery when her condition went undetected.
Mother-of-five Sarah Alves (38) lost her baby last month as a result of an ectopic pregnancy.
This potentially life-threatening complication, which affects around 1% to 2% of pregnancies, occurs when a fertilised egg implants itself outside the uterus, and results in the loss of the pregnancy.
Mrs Alves said her severe pain and bleeding was dismissed by a doctor when she attended the Emergency Department – only for her to require emergency surgery days later.
This experience prompted her to launch a petition calling for more training for doctors in the Emergency Department to understand the signs of ectopic pregnancy. It has gained over 200 signatures so far.
After Mrs Alves shared her story on social media, Islanders replied, sharing similar experiences of having their concerns around miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies downplayed by medical staff until their condition worsened.
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Fiona Nelson has now responded, saying the Health Department was “concerned” to hear about the experience shared on social media – and has pledged to “review our current practice across all areas involved in the care of women with a possible ectopic pregnancy”.
She said: “At Health and Community Services we aim to provide the very best patient care in all cases, and we were concerned to hear about the experiences that some patients have described on social media.
“While we cannot speak about individual cases, we appreciate that when someone is diagnosed and treated for an ectopic pregnancy it can be a very distressing time.
“We would like to reassure Islanders that we have guidelines in place to help ensure that patients who present with an ectopic pregnancy are diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
“In the light of the concerns raised we will review our current practice across all areas involved in the care of women with a possible ectopic pregnancy.”
Dr Nelson explained that anyone who had concerns in early pregnancy should seek advice from their GP in the first instance. If there is significant pain or bleeding, or if these symptoms are associated with feeling unwell, they should attend the Emergency Department directly.
The woman can then be clinically assessed and referred to the gynaecology team.
She added: “We would also like to signpost patients, who have had any issues about the care they have received, to our Patient Advice and Liaison Service. PALS can listen to their concerns and arrange for any matters raised to be looked into.
“We are always keen to receive feedback, as learning from patient experience helps us to improve the care we provide.”
