Early Pregnancy Unit
What we do
The Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) is an emergency service for assessing and treating:
- pregnant women with pain or bleeding in early pregnancy up to 16 weeks
- pregnant women with high risk of an ectopic (outside the womb) pregnancy
- women who are not pregnant and have been admitted to hospital with sudden severe pelvic pain.
If you are experiencing pain or bleeding and are up to 16 weeks pregnant, please call the EPU on 020 3299 7232. You will have a telephone assessment with a nurse, and they will advise whether you should come into the hospital and the urgency of your symptoms. We will give you an appointment either on the day that you call or within a few days.
Please note that we give priority to those who are seriously unwell so you may have to wait after your appointment time if we have had to deal with an emergency.
The EPU telephone line gets very busy so please keep trying if you are unable to get through.
If you have been referred by your GP, please call before attending. Please note this service is for women who are local to King’s. We no longer run a walk-in service.
Telephone line opening hours
Monday to Friday: 9am to 4.30pm
Weekends and bank holidays: 9am to 12.30pm
If you are pregnant and start to have pain or bleeding outside of these hours then please speak to NHS 111 or go straight to the Emergency Department if your symptoms are severe.
What to expect when you are assessed
A doctor will assess you by taking your medical history. You will also have an internal ultrasound scan. The doctor will then discuss with you the likely cause of your symptoms, whether you need to have any more investigations, and your treatment options.
Treatment
Treatments available for miscarriage include: day surgery treatment under general anaesthetic, surgical management under local anaesthetic, outpatient medical management, and natural management.
Treatments available for ectopic pregnancies include: laparoscopic surgery, medical treatment with methotrexate, or natural management.
Further advice and support
A number of organisations give dedicated support and advice to people affected by issues such as miscarriage and baby loss:
- The Ectopic Trust
- Association of Early Pregnancy Units (AEPU)
- The Miscarriage Association
- Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS)
- Babyloss Charity
Location
Suite 8, Third Floor, Golden Jubilee Wing, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS
Contact Details
- Main Reception: 020 3299 3168
- EPU helpline: 020 3299 7232
- Unit Administrator: 020 3299 1702
Patient information leaflets
| Title | File Size | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Early Intrauterine Pregnancy | 35 KB | |
| Ectopic Pregnancy | 1 MB | |
| Miscarriage | 1 MB | |
| Pregnancy of an unknown location | 1 MB |
Conditions we treat
Our service treats:
- pregnant women with pain or bleeding in early pregnancy up to 16 weeks
- pregnant women with high risk of an ectopic pregnancy (for example, a history of ectopic pregnancy, tubal infertility or pregnant with IUD in situ)
- non-pregnant women admitted to the hospital with acute pelvic pain.
Referring a patient to King’s
Routine Referrals
We do not accept routine referrals.
Emergency Referrals
This is an emergency service for early pregnancy patients only. We do not see gynaecology emergencies; these patients should be referred to the on-call gynaecology senior registrar via switchboard.
GPs wishing to refer a patient should ask the patient to call the nurse triage line. Women can self-refer to to the Early Pregnancy Unit at King’s College Hospital, London by calling the EPU nurse triage line on 020 3299 7232 for a telephone assessment with a view to booking an appointment. We also accept self-referrals via the EPU helpline.
Key Clinical Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Miss Jemma Johns | Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist |
| Mr Prashant Purohit | Consultant in Gynaecology, Fertility and Reproductive Medicine |
| Miss Jackie Ross | Consultant Gynaecologist |
| Mrs Jane Rufford | Consultant Gynaecologist |
| Dr Nurit Zosmer | Associate Specialist in Early Pregnancy and Fetal Medicine |