A rare but potentially fatal pregnancy complication, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), has led to numerous women in the UK undergoing major emergency surgery, including hysterectomies, due to delayed diagnosis. Since the launch of the Action for Accreta campaign in February, scores of women have shared their experiences to raise awareness among NHS staff and expectant mothers.
Devastating Consequences
One affected woman, an NHS operating theatre nurse, lost so much blood during childbirth that she had to leave her job and now suffers from PTSD. Another lost six litres of blood and attributes her daughter's cerebral palsy to a stroke the infant suffered during an emergency caesarean section. Others have sustained permanent bladder or bowel damage.
Risk Factors and Detection
PAS is associated with a history of caesarean sections, while assisted fertility treatments like IVF also increase risk. The condition occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall, complicating separation during birth. Despite these risks, 61% of cases in a recent dossier of 100 women went undiagnosed, increasing the risk of fatal haemorrhage.
Campaign Highlights Systemic Failures
Amisha and Nik Adhia, founders of Action for Accreta, compiled 100 cases—75 from the UK and 25 from abroad—revealing what they call 'a dangerous gap in maternity care' and 'systemic failures.' Campaigners urge UK hospitals to improve staff training for spotting and treating PAS. Politicians from all major parties support their call for an NHS overhaul.
Personal Stories
Erin Cooper, from Bedfordshire, experienced heavy bleeding from 26 weeks but was never assessed for PAS. She lost 4.5 litres of blood during an emergency C-section at 33 weeks, required 13 units of blood, and had a hysterectomy. 'I now have PTSD around blood. I’ve had to change jobs and can no longer work in a patient-facing role,' she said.
Chloe Robinson, from Burnley, was taken to hospital at 34 weeks after heavy bleeding. Surgeons discovered PAS unexpectedly, leading to a six-litre blood loss and hysterectomy. Her daughter suffered a stroke and now has cerebral palsy. 'If they had found the condition before, none of this may have happened,' she said.
Cerri-Anne Almond’s PAS was only detected during her C-section in 2021. 'As soon as the surgeons opened my abdomen it became clear something was wrong. A more specialised surgical team was urgently called in. I’m one of the lucky ones,' she said.
Call for Action
Jeremy Hunt, former health secretary and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on patient safety, urged NHS leaders to learn from these stories. 'These stories highlight worrying gaps in how PAS is identified, recorded and managed across the NHS. Addressing these will require a more consistent, system-wide approach, including improved data, training and clinical preparedness.'
Kim Thomas, CEO of the Birth Trauma Association, added: 'PAS is a dangerous complication of pregnancy, and terrifying for the women who experience it. We have seen too many women experience deep psychological trauma as the result of PAS, particularly if diagnosis has happened late.'
Action for Accreta has met with Gillian Merron, minister for maternity care, to press for updated guidelines, mandatory reporting, and inclusion of PAS on maternity dashboards. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We thank these brave women for sharing their experiences. Every mother deserves to be heard and Baroness Amos’ independent investigation into maternity care will help us understand the systemic issues.'
The government has allocated an extra £149 million to improve maternity safety, recruited over 2,000 more midwives, and introduced Martha’s rule, giving patients and families the right to a second opinion.
