The Association of Early Pregnancy Units (AEPU) brings together healthcare professionals who are passionate about supporting women and their partners through early pregnancy problems. Our goal is to share knowledge, provide training, and offer resources that help ensure every person receives the highest standard of care during this important time.
The AEPU is a specialist society of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and connects over 200 Early Pregnancy Units across NHS hospitals throughout the UK.
We empower health professionals to achieve this vision by:
Delivering impactful and authoritative education, learning resources and evidence-based guidance
Creating a supportive and collaborative network to enable the sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience
Facilitating and promoting high quality peer-reviewed research
An Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) is a specialist unit that provides care for women with problems in early pregnancy. This often centres on the provision of an ultrasound scan to confirm the location and viability of a pregnancy. Units can also provide treatment for women diagnosed with complications such as a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
The most common reasons women are referred to an Early Pregnancy Unit are bleeding and/or pain with a positive pregnancy test. Some women are referred for specialist care if a problem is suspected after an early pregnancy ultrasound scan in another setting, such as the community. Women may also be referred based on their previous history of problems in early pregnancy, such as an ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy or multiple miscarriages.
Referrals are usually made by a healthcare professional (often a GP, midwife, emergency department practitioner or urgent care centre practitioner), after which an appointment is made. Some units allow self-referrals or walk-ins. Please see our interactive map for your closest unit.
Connect with us to enhance early pregnancy care and support for women across the UK.
