The Hug in a Bag project provides women experiencing miscarriage or threatened miscarriage with a bag containing pads, knickers, wipes, tissues, and an information leaflet to maintain dignity, promote hygiene, provide informed care, reassurance, and comfort. Feedback from focus groups showed the concept of a hug in a bag does exactly that for patients. The initiative aims to directly improve patient experience for the significant patient group of 1 in 4 pregnancies that end in miscarriage.

1. HUG IN A BAG
Milton Keynes University Hospital
@MKHospital
Christina Riley: Clinical Nurse Specialist

2. A pack to provide practical and emotional support for women attending the emergency
department experiencing miscarriage/threatened miscarriage in early pregnancy
Contents
Pads
Knickers
Wipes
Tissues
Information Leaflet
THE PROJECT

3. Aim is to directly improve patient experience by:
INITIATIVE AIMS
Maintaining dignityPromoting hygiene
Informed careProviding reassurance
Providing comfort

4. IMPACT ON A LARGE SCALE
Significant patient
group
1 in 4 pregnancies end in
miscarriage

5. INFORMED BY PATIENT
EXPERIENCE
Experiences as a newly
qualified emergency nurse
Feedback from patients
Recognised a gap in the provision
of holistic, compassionate care and
open communication
PALS had been involved with
women who were unhappy
with their experiences of
miscarriage in the Emergency
Department.

6. PRODUCT OF EFFECTIVE
COLLABORATION
Newly
Qualified
Nurse
Practice
Development
Emergency
Department
Staff
Early Pregnancy
Assessment Unit
PALS / Complaints
Communications
Patients
Patient
Experience

7. PATIENT EXPERIENCE
AT THE HEART
Focus groups
“it has given me goose bumps…….genius idea”
“the concept of a hug is exactly what the hug in a bag does for you”
“it makes the woman feel that the hospital are there for them…it
counteracts the fear…pretty amazing”

8. TRANSFERABILITY
Transitional across departments
Emergency
Department
Early Pregnancy
Assessment Unit
Ward
Adaptable across Trusts nationwideAdaptable across patient groups

9. DISSEMINATION
Regional and national championing
NHS Fab
Changes Day
OSEM
Conference
NHS Thames
Valley
Leadership
Awards 2017
Nursing Times
Awards 2017