A DUNFERMLINE councillor and his wife have welcomed changes to Victoria Hospital’s early pregnancy unit after the ordeal of losing their baby in the summer.

Cllr Gavin Ellis and wife Cheryl wanted action after they were left sitting in a corridor following the devastating news in July that they had lost their unborn child.

He explained: “We were told to take a seat back in the same corridor and someone would come to take us back upstairs shortly.

“During this time, we were trying to take in the reality all the while looking at couples beside us looking so happy – and rightfully so – that their scans had gone well. There were smaller children around with their mothers and babies crying.

“Around 20 minutes later, a member of staff noted we were still sitting in the corridor and asked if anyone had been to see us. The member of staff was very apologetic and escorted us back up to a quiet room where we could console each other before seeing the nurse again to discuss the outcome of the scan and to address any questions we had.”

When the couple heard about proposed plans to place the maternity and gynaecology unit in one department, they were worried that more parents would have to go through the same ordeal they did.

“I decided to write to NHS Fife with my concerns and placed this out on social media hoping others who had concerns or had suffered loss would speak out and see I was asking for change,” said Cllr Ellis.

“I received many responses from residents across Fife who shared the same experiences and this drove me on to make sure we got change.

Cllr Ellis, along with Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville, met hospital senior management at a meeting last month to see what changes had been made.

“I was delighted to see that parents now have a much larger open waiting area and where there is any concern over baby loss or complications, parents are taken through a quick corridor and into the scan area.

"After the scan takes place, parents now go into rooms off the cold corridor that we were left sitting in. These rooms have refreshments and IT equipment; this space allows parents to take their time being with each other for comfort and to think privately rather than sitting in an area where children may be,” he added.

“These changes have been very welcome to see first-hand and both Shirley-Anne and I made some small suggestions on what else could be done and it was great to see the management taking these on board. 

“Nothing ever heals baby loss, however, we can at least see it’s now a more human environment than clinical and the parent’s journey through the process is vastly improved from our experience and that of others who have been through the Victoria.”

A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: “Particular focus has been given to enhancing the privacy and dignity of women experiencing pregnancy loss. Women experiencing loss will now be taken into a discrete counselling room within the clinic, with the early pregnancy team going to them. 

"This will remove the need to wait and move between clinical areas at what is a very upsetting time.”