Miscarriage mum 'should have been told to stop taking drug'
- Published
Lisa Watkinson lost her baby last year
A mother miscarried after being advised to continue taking a prescribed drug which she was later told should have been stopped.
Lisa Watkinson was told by a GP and a midwife it was safe to keep taking Ramipril for high blood pressure.
An NHS England review found she should have been told to stop taking the drug but it may not have directly caused the miscarriage.
NHS England apologised and said the matter would be "scrutinised further".
Lisa Watkinson asked a GP whether she should continue taking Ramipril for high blood pressure
Ms Watkinson, from Derbyshire, who takes several prescription medicines, sought advice when she discovered she was pregnant.
She said she saw a locum GP at the Royal Primary Care in Chesterfield who told her she could continue to take Ramipril, a position supported by a midwife soon after.
At her 12-week scan, Ms Watkinson and her partner discovered she had miscarried.
She said: "When the consultant looked at my pregnancy notes, she suddenly stopped and said 'Why are you on Ramipril? They should have put you on a safer alternative'.
"That's when bells started ringing.
"It's a horrible feeling, knowing you've been putting a tablet down your mouth that your doctor prescribed you and it could have harmed your baby."
NHS England investigated Ms Watkinson's case after being informed by her MP Toby Perkins.
The Labour MP for Chesterfield said he would be writing to the health secretary about the matter.
Royal Primary Care in Chesterfield has apologised
Dr Dean Temple, from NHS England, said: "As a practising GP I would never prescribe an ACE inhibitor in pregnancy unless on the advice of a secondary care consultant.
"The Ramipril should have been stopped. This does not necessarily mean that the prescribing of this medication directly caused the miscarriage."
The locum GP who advised Ms Watkinson did not respond to the investigation.
Royal Primary Care said it would offer the couple a formal apology and invite them to discuss their loss and the clinical care they received.