I've just had my first experience of miscarriage sadly, and while I'm feeling not too bad emotionally, I can see how poor handling by EPUs can leave some people feeling terribly traumatised. I went in for a scan knowing I'd miscarried, well I convinced myself so when it was confirmed it wasn't the body blow I imagine it is if you're keeping hope alive.
The EPU at St George's Tooting is meant to be brilliant, and the staff I came in to contact with were terribly kind, but the layout of unit is terrible. You have to sit waiting for your turn in out patients, which is also where the ante natal appointments desk is. While I was there, there were at least three tear stained women sitting with their partners surrounded by pregnant women and people waiting for routine blood tests (phlebotomy dept is also there). To have to sit there in the harsh glare of those lights, with nowhere private for you to vent your grief, sobbing with total strangers staring at you must be the most distressing thing ever.
oh and when I got home this evening from work there was a lovely envelope from the maternity services at St George's full of pamphlets about screening tests during pregnancy and inviting me to book in for my midwives appointment. Now as I said, I'm ok at the moment, I'm coping, but for someone who is struggling, that must be a devastating thing to come home to. It's the same department in the same hospital and they aren't able to stop these leaflets being sent out?