Royal Preston Hospital investigation under way after doctor wrongly tells mum-to-be that her baby had died

The young mum, aged 20, was in the early stages of pregnancy when she began to bleed and was taken to Royal Preston Hospital on May 10 this year.

She left the hospital grieving the loss of her unborn child after a junior doctor checked her over and reportedly told her that she had miscarried.

Before being discharged, the doctor allegedly removed some of the young woman’s pregnancy tissue using a medical instrument called a speculum and advised that the foetus would need to be removed at a follow up appointment.

No scans were taken to confirm the baby’s condition and the bereaved couple returned home to grieve their loss.

But in a bizarre twist, later that week, they attended a follow up appointment and a scan was taken – revealing that her baby was alive and well.

The couple are now expecting to welcome their newborn into the world early next year, but have been left anxious and concerned with the agonising false alarm raised by the doctor at Royal Preston Hospital.

You can read the couple’s full story here.

So what happened? How did the doctor get it wrong?

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals said the incident is being investigated. It explained that bleeding can be a sign of threatened miscarriage, but this is not enough on its own to confirm miscarriage.

If a pregnant woman experiences bleeding, a scan is booked to confirm whether she has miscarried or not, said the hospital trust.

A hospital spokesperson said: “We are in the process of investigating this complaint and will be in touch with the couple formally once this has been completed.

"Whilst we cannot comment on the specifics of this case while the investigation is ongoing it is important to note that in early pregnancy, bleeding can be a sign of threatened miscarriage and an internal examination using a speculum may take place which is perfectly normal.

"A scan is then arranged as soon as possible – often within days - to determine whether a heartbeat can be detected so that the anxiety of parents is kept to a minimum and the appropriate care can take place.

“We would always encourage patients to talk to our staff if they are worried when using any of our services, our Patient Advice and Liaison Service is available if they do not feel they can speak to the person delivering care or would like to speak to someone independently.”