Six in ten women say they were denied adequate care after miscarriage, new Miscarriage Association research reveals
9th March 2026
Our major new report, Miscarriage in the UK, published in March 2026, reveals that more than six in ten women (65%) say they did not receive adequate follow-up care after miscarriage.
The report, based on the experiences of more than 1,000 people affected by pre-24-week pregnancy loss across the UK, highlights widespread gaps in healthcare, workplace support and societal understanding. It paints a picture of care that is too often inconsistent, unequal and, at times, deeply distressing.
While half of respondents rated their care as good or excellent (34% and 16% respectively), more than a quarter (25.3%) described it as poor or very poor.
Alongside this:
- 68% experienced mental health problems following miscarriage, including grief, depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts.
- 42% of women who wanted treatment for mental health symptoms did not receive it.
- 65% said they did not receive adequate follow-up care.
Healthcare: inconsistent and inadequate
Women described care that varied dramatically depending on where they lived or which healthcare professional they saw. Many reported being sent home with little or no guidance, given conflicting advice, or misdiagnosed.
Access to Early Pregnancy Units, scans and investigations was often dependent on location or clinical discretion. Some respondents described undergoing emergency surgery after ectopic pregnancies were missed, including cases involving avoidable fertility loss.
A recurring theme was lack of dignity. Some women were left without basic provisions such as sanitary pads. Although 65% felt the language used by healthcare professionals was sensitive and appropriate, more than a quarter (26%) had the opposite experience.
One respondent described being told her baby had been “put in the incinerator with the rest of the medical waste.”
Another said her experience was: “Dehumanising – I had to bring the sac into hospital in a Tupperware box where it was treated like a specimen.”
Charlotte, who experienced a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, said:
“I ended up having a rupture and rushed via ambulance for emergency surgery, losing my last remaining tube. I was incredibly depressed after… I almost ended my life from this experience. I now have complex PTSD.”
Jill commented:
“There’s zero emotional or wellbeing checks after something so utterly traumatic. I have been in a very, very dark place with no support.”
Compassionate care should be standard – not dependent on individual practitioners.
Workplaces: limited support and poor awareness
The research also exposes significant gaps in workplace support:
- 57% were not offered any formal support at work after disclosing pregnancy loss.
- 48% said their employer did not have a pregnancy loss policy.
- 28% were unsure whether such a policy existed.
- 60% found their role or working environment emotionally triggering after returning to work.
Many employees were unaware of their rights around pregnancy-related sickness. Fear of stigma or career impact prevented some from disclosing their loss.
Olivia said:
“They forced me to take any time I had off as holiday. Even the day I had my appointment to go into hospital for the medical management had to be used as holiday. They wouldn’t allow any sick leave or compassionate leave at all.”
Society: silence and stigma persist
Beyond healthcare and employment, respondents described isolation in wider society. While friends and family were often supportive at first, support frequently faded over time. Some women lost friendships, and in some cases relationships broke down following miscarriage.
One respondent said:
“The most supportive friends were those that had been through it themselves. Some people, who I thought would be supportive basically just ignored me and those relationships have been damaged as a result.”
The findings highlight the urgent need for greater awareness, education and open conversation about pregnancy loss.
Our call for systemic change
Vicki Robinson, Miscarriage Association Chief Executive, comments:
“Too many women and their partners are being failed by a system that is inconsistent, unequal and too often dictated by chance or circumstance. People told us they felt unheard and diminished, caught between gaps in healthcare, uncertainty at work, and a wider silence that leaves miscarriage poorly understood and acknowledged.
“This is not about blaming individuals. Many examples of compassionate care exist, and we are working to build on these through our free specialist training for healthcare professionals. But when support depends on where you are, who you speak to, or how well systems join up, too many people are left facing additional physical harm and lasting psychological distress at an already vulnerable time.
“Change must be systemic. Clear, consistent aftercare following pregnancy loss should be available to all. Until pregnancy loss is properly acknowledged, too many people will continue to face miscarriage without the care, support and recognition they need and deserve.”
We are calling for urgent action, including:
- Routine follow-up care offered after every miscarriage.
- Timely access to Early Pregnancy Units, including direct referrals and weekend availability.
- Expanded bereavement care provision through specialist training.
- Protected time for healthcare professionals to access compassionate communication training.
- Guaranteed dignity and privacy in all hospital settings.
- Full implementation of bereavement leave under the forthcoming Employment Rights Act, alongside stronger workplace pregnancy loss policies.
- Action from the National Maternity Safety Investigation to ensure pre-24-week pregnancy loss is given equal prominence to later gestation outcomes.
- A national effort to break the stigma surrounding pregnancy loss.
Myleene Klass, a champion of the Miscarriage Association and MBE recipient for her campaigning on miscarriage, said:
“Pregnancy loss is not a niche issue, it affects thousands each year. Yet many still struggle to access the care and understanding they deserve. This research by the Miscarriage Association is an important step in holding the system to account and pushing for meaningful change. We must listen to those with lived experience and make miscarriage care a priority.”
Andy Macnae MP, Chair of the APPG on Baby Loss, said:
“This is an important report and very much aligns with what we have heard on the Baby Loss APPG. Despite pockets of good practice and many compassionate, committed professionals, too many families are still being failed.
“The National Maternity Safety Investigation, being chaired by Baroness Amos, must lead to the systemic change across all aspects of maternity and neonatal care. Consistent, empathic aftercare following pregnancy lost must be part of that.”
This report provides a timely and detailed picture of miscarriage care in the UK today. The experiences shared make clear that change must be systemic – so that no one faces pregnancy loss without the care, support and recognition they need and deserve.
Jackie Ross, Chair of the Association of Early Pregnancy Units, said:
“The Association of Early Pregnancy Units is deeply saddened by the experiences shared in the Miscarriage Association’s State of the Nation Report. We recognise the distress caused when care falls short of the compassionate, dignified, timely and consistent standard people deserve.
“We support their call for systemic change and remain committed to working collaboratively to strengthen early pregnancy services across the UK, ensuring safe, evidence-based and person-centred care for all those affected by early pregnancy loss.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care described losing a baby as “heartbreaking” and said the report’s findings were “unacceptable”.
Download and read the full report, including key findings, recommendations and lived experience testimonials below.
Support our work
Following the publication of Miscarriage Care in the UK, we will continue to campaign for better care — advocating for routine follow-up after miscarriage, strengthening the role of Early Pregnancy Units (EPUs), supporting the effective implementation of bereavement leave under the Employment Rights Act, and challenging stigma and silence around pregnancy loss.
Later this year, we will launch a public-facing campaign focused on securing mandatory aftercare following miscarriage. To drive this work forward and ensure meaningful improvements in care, follow-up and compassion, we need your support. If you are able, please consider making a donation today. Because every loss matters.
