AQO 2616/17-22
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 07/10/2021
Answered On Date: 19/10/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health given the significant impact on pregnant women and their partners, to outline whether access to the medical management of miscarriage, including scans and surgical support, has been restored to pre-pandemic levels.
Answer:
Within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, access to pregnancy scans and the medical and surgical management of miscarriage at the Early Pregnancy Clinic has never been stood down, even throughout the pandemic. Futhermore, the full range of bereavement support has been offered to women who have suffered a miscarriage during the pandemic, including referral to the Bereavement midwife and signposting to support services. In the South Eastern and Western Trusts, partners are facilitated to attend all pregnancy scans and can stay with their partner throughout the medical management of miscarriage at Early Pregnancy Clinics, while adhering to social distancing and wearing of masks while in hospital, which may include remaining in a different waiting area until the woman is ready for her scan. All women and their partners are provided with information on support services available following miscarriage and access to a bereavement midwife. In the Belfast Trust, COVID-19 has caused serious staffing challenges across the service and the Early Pregnancy Service is not yet able to function at full capacity. However, the Trust aims to restore this aspect of service to pre-pandemic levels once the service has a full complement of staff. Nevertheless, all women attending the service have received the care they required throughout the pandemic. Surgical management has now been restored as an option for all women. Women for whom there are clinical concerns are reviewed, but Belfast Trust cannot always offer reassurance scans or review those women who have probably already miscarried. Currently all women attending can bring a partner to the Early Pregnancy Clinic and this was also facilitated during the pandemic, where possible. Women who have had a miscarriage are given advice and literature on miscarriage and bereavement, including contact details for the Trust’s Bereavement and Loss Midwife and the Royal Maternity Hospital’s Helpline Number. The Southern Trust has put measures in place to facilitate the same number of appointments per day, but in different locations. Support is available via the bereavement team and women are signposted to the Miscarriage Association and Ectopic Trust as appropriate for virtual support. Currently, partners are allowed to attend scans. The Trust’s policy on this has varied throughout the pandemic.
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