"Missed Ectopic Pregnancy"

I had phoned Aberdeen Early Pregnancy Unit four times with bleeding and abdominal pain and was told to wait 5 days until when I had an early scan booked. The last phone call was particularly frustrating as I had told them the abdominal pain was getting worse and that I was wakening through the night with pain and that bleeding had started.

When I was told I could not be seen I asked if there were any cancellations could they please phone me but was told that they don’t get cancellations, everyone had abdominal pain or bleeding like me that they are scanning. I felt as if I was being a nuisance phoning and that they thought my abdominal pain and bleeding was not serious.

By the time I got my scan my ectopic pregnancy had ruptured and I was bleeding into my abdomen - both of which i believe would have been avoided had they seen me when I phoned before. I required emergency abdominal surgery and have had the ectopic pregnancy and one of my fallopian tubes removed. Again, there may have been other options had I been seen sooner when I had called with abdominal pain and bleeding.