Women suspected of having ectopic pregnancy should be treated as urgent cases as hospitals – and may be emergencies, according to UK guidelines published today.
It follows the death of six women diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy in three years in the last decade.
The six were among 35,000 women to face the problem, in which an embryo implants to tissue outside the womb.
The same urgency should apply to suspected miscarriage, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
NICE said it had made the same recommendations two years ago – but believes the NHS still needs to improve care of these women. The guidance is now embedded in a quality standard.
Deputy chief executive Professor Gillian Leng said: "To think that you might be losing your baby, either through miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, is terrifying. It can have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the woman and her family.
“It’s important that these women are seen as soon as possible – a long delay could have a potentially devastating effect."
The Royal College of Midwives welcomed the guidance.
Jane Munro, of the college, said: “It raises awareness of ectopic pregnancy and highlights the importance to medical professionals of ensuring early diagnosis and the need for speedy referral and treatment.
“A woman’s emotional wellbeing can also be seriously affected and there is also a need to ensure that women who have suffered from an ectopic pregnancy are offered advice and support, particularly emotional support, during treatment and afterwards.”
Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, said: “The enhanced guidance will improve the physical care offered to women who suffer an unwanted loss of a pregnancy. It is also crucial to remember that the woman and her partner will need emotional support – both now and for future pregnancies.”
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