Early Pregnancy Unit have refused to see me

[OpiL]

7 weeks pregnant, started bleeding yesterday (bright red moderately heavy) along with cramps. Got a bit worse over night and this morning. Called the EPU at Oldham hospital. She told me to wait till 11 Feb and take a pregnancy test and if it's negative then I've miscarried?! I told her I wanted a scan and she said no. She said I could be seen by a doctor who would check my cervix, but I need to be referred first either by my GP or A&E. Or she said I could get a private scan. I'm stunned! I told her I had similar bleeding with my first child at 8 weeks and I was invited in for a scan. But she said they don't do that.... Has anyone else had this experience with an EPU? We've booked a private scan for this afternoon as we would rather just know, but I'm appalled at the lack of care I received today from the NHS.

I would be ringing back and asking to speak to someone else! Good luck with your scan this afternoon, hope all is ok x

Ring your GP and get them to refer you. If you aren’t known to EPAU ours don’t take direct refers from patients. Your GP will be able to arrange a scan (I hope)

Most EPUs dont accept self referral. If you call your GP or do an econsult with them they should refer you.

I had similar and got told to basically wait until 12 week app. All was fine. I done the same and went private.

Mine don’t accept self referrals at all. And yes I was previously told at that stage there is little they can do - so it was a case of wait and see

Very sorry you’re going through this, OP.

I don’t think this is unusual practice however. If it’s this early, no extreme pain or anything to indicate an ectopic, there’s little that can be done at this stage other than waiting. A lot of people do have some bleeding and cramps in early pregnancy and it wouldn’t be feasible to offer everyone NHS scans. So while it’s horrible to go through, I don’t think they’ve done anything wrong here.

Hope your private scan can give you some answers

I’m sorry it’s such a worrying time for you. I hope you get good news at your scan tonight.

EPUs often can’t see all the women who miscarry, especially as it happens so often. Your GP can do an internal examination to see if your cervix is still closed or not.

The NHS’s pragmatic view is that there isn’t anything they can do or the scan will do with regards to what happens.

Thanks everyone I appreciate the responses.

Try Bolton Hospital if you want to be seen (assuming you’re around that area if you tried Oldham). I had similar recently and rang the GP, who wouldn’t see me and told me to ring the EPU at Bolton. They saw me straight away and scanned me, which was a good job as turned out to be ectopic even though I didn’t have any of the classic signs.
Hope you’re okay! X

Oh gosh I'm so glad you were seen! Thanks so much for the advice. Bolton isn't too far away from us so appreciate it.

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I think this is a common response from EPAU because there’s nothing they can do at this stage. Even if you have a scan that shows a heart beat today, the bleeding suggests at least a threatened miscarriage and so when do you scan again? Tomorrow? The next day? It’s heartbreaking but a scan is just a snap shot and can’t tell you what will happen over night or over the next few days. And this is why they don’t scan. xx

Hi, I’m so sorry to hear about your bleeding. I recently had bleeding at 7 weeks and went to Tameside hospital A&E (it was a weekend night and EPU was not open) who did a blood test, I was told to call the EPU on Monday when they opened and because my HCG was high enough for a scan I had a scan booked in the same week. I know it’s hell sitting in A&E but honestly it was worth it in the end.

This doesn’t seem right. I had brown blood and very mild cramping. My local is self referral via online form.

They were willing to see me at that point (and by the time they called it was red blood + clot).
they scanned me next day and it was a haematoma.

Not sure if they’d have scanned so quickly without the red blood and clotting but they were willing to scan me either way so that really doesn’t seem right xx

Our EPU is either GP or a&e referral

Thanks everyone. I went to the private scan and while there is still a faint heartbeat, I'm having a threatened miscarriage. The egg sack has unfortunately dropped down and is almost in the cervix so it's not looking good ☹️ The private sonographer is concerned with the amount of bleeding and has sent me to A&E. I've got a long wait by the looks of it.

I’m sorry OP it’s heartbreaking xx

Oh OP the wait is awful and being in limbo. Hopefully they can see you soon and make an action plan of rescanning if needed over the next few days

Oh @OpiL , I’m so sorry. I sat in a side room in A&E for a long time, alone with my thoughts and my threatened miscarriage, so I know how you’re feeling. I hope you’re not waiting long, and I hope all is well. Sending love ❤️

That’s absolutely disgusting.. I had a MMC and just found out I was pregnant so my EPAU told me to come in for a 6 week reassurance scan! I’d be making a complaint. Hope you are okay!

It’s so unfair how different EPAUs are across the country. Ours is self referral online and will always see you post 6 weeks if you are bleeding, have intense cramps or have miscarried before. I have been many times over different pregnancies (successful and unsuccessful) and never made to feel that they don’t have time or I’m being a nuisance. I’ve even been post miscarriages because they insist on scanning in case of retained product.

I went this time simply because I’ve had previous miscarriages. I filled in the online form and they called me within a day to tell me to come in, despite no bleeding or pain (given I tend to have missed miscarriages, this doesn’t means anything as far as I’m concerned). Again, all quite happy to see me.

I’m so sorry you didn’t have this experience Op and that it’s turning out badly for you. The only thing to be thankful for I suppose is that your body is doing what it is supposed to as it’s quite a pain when it doesn’t and does tend to drag on the process by weeks/ months when all you want is to move on. I hope A&E are helpful.

I had similar but by GP were amazing I called them and they referred me straight away. I would call your GP cc

So sorry OP. How are you getting on in A&E? Sending hugs 💐

This was the same as I recent experience that I had, I ended up booking a private scan.

I’m sorry @OpiLits just awful. I am in a similar position, mine has been confirmed and I’m just waiting for things to progress. Sending you big hugs.

Just wanted to say I'm so sorry to hear this, and to offer some solidarity. I had a nightmare with the EPU, weren't interested in seeing me because I was only 4 weeks despite having heavy bleeding and in lots and lots of pain, had an ectopic rupture just before 5 weeks and emergency surgery. Awful.