Tommy’s Graded Model of Miscarriage Care

Added: 2026-05-03

[00:00:02]Right now, women and birthing people must go through the devastation of three miscarriages before they are routinely offered the support that could help prevent another loss. And any support they do get is inconsistent across the UK. It's a postcode [music] lottery.

[00:00:19]Julie said, "When I lost my third baby, as heartbroken as I was, it was almost a relief that something could get done."

[00:00:27]This three-miscarriage wait is unacceptable, and Tommy's are working hard to change it.

[00:00:33]Our researchers have been trialing a new approach called the graded model of miscarriage care, where women and birthing people are routinely offered additional care and support from their first miscarriage, instead of having [music] to wait until they've had three.

[00:00:48]After a first miscarriage, they see a nurse or midwife and receive advice on how to manage risk factors [music] for miscarriage in future pregnancies and talk about taking a hormone called progesterone, which can [music] sometimes help prevent a miscarriage. At this point, they may also be directed to mental health support.

[00:01:08]After two miscarriages, [music] they'd have an appointment with a nurse or midwife in an early pregnancy unit.

[00:01:14]Alongside the care offered after one loss, [music] they'd have blood tests and be referred for further specialist care if needed, and have access to extra scans in early pregnancy.

[00:01:26]After a third miscarriage, on top of the care offered after one and two losses, they'd have an appointment [music] in a recurrent miscarriage clinic and be offered advanced tests and treatments, including genetic testing of the baby and ultrasounds of the pelvis.

[00:01:42]Researchers at our National Centre for Miscarriage Research in Birmingham have studied how our graded model of miscarriage care could work in practice and how it could be rolled out.

[00:01:53]203 women who had one, two, or three miscarriages received this new care model, and they were compared to another group of women who had usual care.

[00:02:04]These women only received follow-up support after three miscarriages. Data from the new study suggests a reduced likelihood of another miscarriage [music] happening for those receiving the graded model, which, if rolled out across the UK, could potentially [music] prevent 10,075 miscarriages a year. That's thousands of families bringing their babies home [music] instead of suffering the trauma of a pregnancy loss.

[00:02:31]Healthcare professionals identified risk factors for miscarriage sooner than in usual care, with women in the graded model more likely to have a risk [music] factor identified and given the relevant advice and support. The blood tests offered also helped healthcare staff detect easily treatable conditions [music] sooner than in usual care.

[00:02:51]Of the women that had experienced two miscarriages in the graded model group, one in five had either thyroid problems or anemia identified through this blood test. These conditions increase the risk of pregnancy complications, but wouldn't have been picked up at this stage under usual care.

[00:03:11]The graded model of miscarriage care was welcomed by women who took part in the study, with 99% saying they were satisfied with their care.

[00:03:21]One woman said, "I am so grateful to the team for everything and hope that all women who experience loss are as fortunate as me to be able to access this service."

[00:03:33]Healthcare professionals involved said it helped them to offer the best possible care at the right time. Nearly all of them considered [music] it straightforward to deliver as part of extended care.

[00:03:45]Rolling out the graded model of miscarriage care is not only the right thing to do, but it makes economic sense. By preventing [music] 10,075 miscarriages, and even after accounting for the costs of this extra care, the graded model could save tens of millions of pounds for [music] women and birthing people, the NHS, and the economy every year.

[00:04:08]At Tommy's, we want all families to receive appropriate and compassionate care after each and every loss, wherever they live.

[00:04:17]Our research has shown that the graded model of miscarriage care can be effectively rolled out within the NHS [music] and could save babies' lives.

[00:04:27]Now, we're calling on the government to roll out the graded model across the UK and end the unacceptable three-miscarriage wait. [music] With your support, we can save babies' lives and make pregnancy and birth safe for everyone.

[00:04:44]Join us in calling for a national rollout of the Tommy's graded model of miscarriage care.