Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit

Until recently, the EPAU operated from a single room within the shared Women’s Health Clinic. Patients facing possible miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy sat in the same waiting room as parents with newborns and visibly pregnant patients – a source of distress that staff had long reported.  

The clinic was also physically separate from the gynaecology ward, adding risk to time-critical pathways. The case for a dedicated facility, on both human and clinical grounds, was overwhelming.  

It was confirmed that there needed to be a separate unit to help improve patient experience and allow an easier pathway to the care they needed.  

Reviewing the spaces around the hospital – particularly those close to the gynaecology ward – we identified a vacated ward within the surgical wing of the main hospital. We used this space to create a purpose-built EPUA, located next to Ward 26 and with a quieter more discreet entrance away from the busy women’s health clinic. 

We worked closely with staff to design the unit around the unique sensitivities of early pregnancy:  

• Room layouts with greater consideration for patient modesty and dignity 
• Consultation rooms fitted with gynaecological lighting 
• A dedicated quiet room for patients to receive and process difficult news in private 
• A dedicated ultrasound room 
• Two treatment rooms 
• A separate, calm waiting area 
• Direct access to Ward 26 
• A separate entrance away from the main hospital 

Delivering a new clinical unit within a live hospital environment required careful planning and close collaboration between QE Facilities, the Trust, and our main contractor, Roberston Construction. We all worked considerately alongside live wards and kept our stakeholders informed throughout the whole project.  

Plans were regularly shared, reviewed, and adapted so the space worked for both staff and patients. We knew it was important to involve clinical staff from the outset – helping us shape decision on layout, design, equipment, and the patient journey through the unit.  

This £930,000 project was delivered on time and within budget. We had a real commitment to social value 94% of construction spend went to SMEs, and 90% was kept within 30 miles.  

The unit opened in May 2026, and in its very first clinic, the close proximity to specialist care enabled a swift transfer for a patient experiencing an ectopic emergency to the gynae ward. This was significantly faster than the previous pathway, where delay can carry serious clinical consequences.  

Additionally, data published in BMC Health Services Research has found that 78% of women report a decrease in their anxiety score immediately following an EPAU appointment – exactly the kind of outcome this unit was designed to support.