'Please don't wait, I'm losing my baby': Jersey patients raise concerns over ectopic pregnancy care

• A Jersey patient who had a miscarriage tells ITV Channel's Alex Spiceley that she wants health bosses to understand, "When a woman is bleeding, don't send her home". This report contains images and references to miscarriage.

There are serious concerns over the care women receive when going through an ectopic pregnancy in Jersey.

Sarah Alves lost her baby at nine weeks pregnant and says medics failed her.

Health bosses tell ITV News they are "concerned to hear about the experiences some patients have described" and will review current practices.

Ectopic pregnancy is a condition where a fertilised egg grows outside of the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes, and can need immediate medical intervention.

Recalling her experience, Sarah says she was bleeding and in pain, crying out in A&E: "Please don't make me wait for three hours, I think I'm losing my baby."

She was then made a priority but still had to wait 30 to 45 minutes.

When Sarah was seen, she says the care she received was dismissive: "She [the doctor] asked to see my sanitary pad but because there wasn't a lot of blood on it, she said it wasn't a cause for concern and I wasn't having a miscarriage."

Sarah asked to see a gynaecologist but says she was told she did not need one and was sent home.

However, after pushing for an appointment, she was seen the following day and told she had lost her baby.

At this stage Sarah says no ectopic pregnancy was detected, it was discovered in another scan after her hormone levels continued to rise.

She explains: "I just feel let down to be honest, there should be a dedicated ward for women going through the process, not being shoved in some surgical ward."

• "I have had to suffer and I am still suffering" - Sarah Alves

A women's health expert, Dr Jessica Langtree-Marsh, says Sarah's story is worrying: "It's really important that we care for women with ectopic pregnancy, it's a life-threatening condition and something we class as a medical emergency.

"It's as life-threatening as a stroke or a heart attack and at the end of the day, that was a positive pregnancy test, with that came hope and the thought of a baby.

"Not only should we treat the medical emergency but we should follow up for both physical and mental reasons."

In a statement, Jersey's Health and Community Services says: "We aim to provide the very best patient care and we are concerned to hear about the experiences some patients have described.

"We will review our current practice across all areas involved in the care of women with a possible ectopic pregnancy."

In response to the statement, Sarah says: "When a woman is bleeding, do not just send her home, I have had to suffer and I am still suffering."

Information about a range of support services across the Channel Islands is available here.

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