Dedicated early pregnancy assessment unit opened

The early pregnancy assessment unit was officially opened last week

A dedicated space for women experiencing complications during pregnancy has opened at the Isle of Man's main hospital.

The early pregnancy assessment unit at Noble's Hospital is a new area for those in the early stages to be assessed and treated separately to other maternity patients.

A private room, called the Bluebell Suite, for parents experiencing baby loss and miscarriage has also been created within the unit to provide privacy for parents.

Vicky Christian, who designed the space after her own experience of miscarriage and a complicated pregnancy, said the facilities represented a "commitment to change".

The Bluebell Suite has been created within the emergency pregnancy assessment unit

The dedicated areas were funded by the Friends of Noble’s Hospital and the Scheinberg family.

Ms Christian said that when she experienced complications and miscarriages, she was put into a side room, with a bed and no chair.

"I wasn't sick, I didn't need a bed, I just needed a space to come to terms with what we had been told," she said.

The project started after Ms Christian got in touch with Manx Care, and was developed along with the health body's Women, Children and Families team.

She said the new facility would have made a "massive difference" to her and her husband, and its opening was a "huge step forward".

Kevin Kneen from the Friends of Noble's said the facilities would "radically improve the quality of service and infrastructure for patients”.