Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust hosted its inaugural Early Pregnancy Loss Conference at Kilhey Court, Standish at the end of October, bringing together healthcare professionals, patient partners, and advocacy groups to explore the clinical, emotional, and pastoral dimensions of early pregnancy care.
The conference was funded and sponsored by 4Louis, the UK charity which works across the country to support anyone affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, and the death of a baby or child.
Bob McGurrell, Co-Founder and CEO of 4Louis, and Trust Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nursing Officer Sarah Morrison welcomed attendees, setting the tone for a day focused on improvement through collaboration.
Sarah said: "I'm a nurse by background, and someone who is genuinely motivated by this subject. Working alongside my gynaecology colleagues has taught me so much, having not had a background in this area, about the significant importance and long-lasting impact this work can have on families."
David Styles, Matron, then shared LTHTR’s progress in early pregnancy care, supported by patient partner Sam Hollroyd’s reflections.
There followed Clinical Insights, with sessions covering molar pregnancy by Lauren Murphy, miscarriage, including a moving talk by parent speaker Sean Coleman, and ectopic pregnancy, from Lois Rowland, Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, before Martin McDonald, Lead Chaplain at LTHTR, led a session on “Listening Without Fixing,” followed by powerful personal stories from Leanne and Patrick Finney.
To end the morning session, Yvonne Barnard addressed the sensitive topic of breaking bad news in sonography in early pregnancy.
In the afternoon, Professor Siobhan Quemby, internationally recognised for her research in miscarriage care, discussed the importance of recognising miscarriage as a significant health issue, and the 4Louis team presented on memory-making for bereaved families.
Tracy Marsden and Vicky Hughes explored trauma-informed care and the role of Professional Nurse Advocates, while Chris Horne and Michael Lancaster closed with a session on NLP and communication strategies.
Closing comments were delivered by Bob and David Styles, thanking speakers and attendees for their contributions to a deeply impactful day.
David reflected: "I wanted to create the conference specifically for early pregnancy loss as there is so little out there that isn’t focussed just on maternity and later loss.
"4Louis have been instrumental in supporting our patients and families, whether that be providing us with their memory boxes and caskets or training and development opportunities. We couldn’t have run this event without their sponsorship and input.
"The event was a huge success and we’re already considering how we can do this again next year. It was a great event that had bereaved parents and families at the centre of it, with three parent speakers presenting. It was an emotional day, but one that we all got a lot from."
