Introduction:
Every day in the UK, around 500 women experience miscarriage – often without the clinical or emotional support they desperately need. Personal reflection "I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat." Those words will stay with me forever. I went in for an early 8-week scan, full of hope but with a deep feeling inside that something was wrong. Just weeks earlier, a six‐week scan had revealed a strong, promising heartbeat. How could this have happened? I was told to go home and wait two weeks. I had to carry my dead baby around for two weeks, knowing that as I was walking around, my baby was decomposing inside of me. I was trying to keep them safe, but they were already gone. I felt like I had become a mortuary, After four personal miscarriages, I identified a repeated and distressing pattern: women managing miscarriage at home or in clinical settings face major gaps in care. Issues like collection, contamination, identification, storage, and transport of pregnancy tissue are rarely addressed with dignity or clarity. In response, I designed a Patent Pending Medical Device – the Collection Cradle – to support women through the physical and emotional realities of miscarriage. It is now being used in NHS hospitals in the UK. The hypothesis is simple: with the right tools and support, miscarriage care can be transformed. This submission shares my journey from personal loss to innovation, and invites midwives and early pregnancy professionals to consider how integrating practical, compassionate tools can improve outcomes, reduce trauma, and ensure no woman is left to manage loss alone or without choice. This is not just a medical device – it is a movement for dignity in miscarriage care.

Aims and objectives:
To improve the emotional wellbeing and dignity of women experiencing miscarriage, particularly in home settings. To provide a reliable, non-surgical method for collecting pregnancy remains, supporting those who choose or require medical or expectant management. To enhance sample quality by improving collection methods, reducing contamination during collection and transfer. To reduce hospital costs by offering a safe, practical solution for managing miscarriage outside of inpatient or surgical care. To improve healthcare accessibility for women in remote or rural areas, those with mobility challenges, and individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds who often face additional barriers to timely and appropriate miscarriage care. Obtaining accurate data on miscarriage care remains a significant challenge. National-level data is often incomplete or inconsistently recorded. For example, surgical management of miscarriage is typically coded under general ‘day procedure’ cost categories, which may include a range of procedures unrelated to miscarriage. Additionally, national coding systems do not always differentiate between miscarriage and elective abortion, making it difficult to isolate meaningful miscarriage-specific data. To address this, we are working in collaboration with willing NHS sites to collect localised data both before and after implementation of the Collection Cradle and Miscarriage Care Kits. This allows for meaningful comparison of patient outcomes and service improvements over time. Patient-level data will include: Chosen method of management (expectant, medical, surgical) relative to gestational age and against demographic factors. Number of complaints related to miscarriage care Number of successful vs unsuccessful sample collections outside surgical settings (for cytogenetic testing) Qualitative feedback from patients during follow-up care, focusing on emotional wellbeing, clarity of guidance, and overall experience Healthcare professional data will include: Satisfaction with the tools and service delivery Observations on differences in care access or outcomes across socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds Perceived improvements in care quality, safety, and emotional support following implementation This mixed-methods approach aims to build a robust evidence base despite the absence of national miscarriage care data, with the long-term goal of informing policy, improving clinical practice, and reducing inequalities in access and experience. Full data collection is scheduled to take place over the summer of 2025, with preliminary findings expected ahead of the conference in October 2025. While quantitative results are not yet available, initial outreach and engagement with healthcare professionals has been highly promising. Of those consulted so far, 100% believe the Collection Cradle will have a positive impact on patient care. Healthcare professionals have also highlighted the volume of patient complaints relating to miscarriage care, particularly around the lack of support, guidance, and dignity during home management. Many believe this device directly addresses the root causes of those complaints. A patient who had previously raised a complaint has reviewed the Collection Cradle and stated that having access to this would have significantly improved their care and miscarriage journey. These early indicators provide a strong foundation for the upcoming evaluation, which will measure patient outcomes, sample quality, service satisfaction, and potential cost savings across participating NHS sites. Miscarriage is a deeply personal and often isolating experience, yet current systems do not always provide the tools, support, or dignity that women deserve. The Collection Cradle responds to this gap by offering a practical, respectful solution that aligns with clinical needs and emotional realities. Early feedback from healthcare professionals and patients indicates strong support for the device and its potential to improve miscarriage care, particularly outside of surgical settings. By offering a reliable method of collection, improving sample quality, and addressing emotional wellbeing, this innovation has the potential to transform care pathways, reduce hospital costs, and address long standing health inequalities. As data collection continues, we aim to build a robust evidence base to support wider adoption and policy change. This work is not just about improving clinical outcomes—it is about restoring dignity to women during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The Collection Cradle is a step forward in making miscarriage care safer, more compassionate, and more equitable for all.