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A woman desperate to start a family was sacked by the health board after having time off sick recovering from miscarriages.

Donna Williams, 33, says when she returned to work after her eighth pregnancy loss - caused by a condition that attacks the foetus thinking it’s a virus - she was asked if she planned on getting pregnant again.

Less than two weeks later she was let go by the health board from her job working at the switchboard at Ysbyty Gwynedd for having too much time off sick.

Donna, from Bangor, feels she was being “victimised for wanting to have a family” - something Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) have strongly denied.

After losing her job Donna now has to move back in with her mum.

Speaking to the Daily Post, Donna said she was “taken aback” when asked about her plans for a family by her manager at BCUHB.

Donna continued: “I have been working for them for 15 years.

“In that time I have had eight miscarriages.”

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The 33-year-old is desperate to start a family of her own but has a condition where her body attacks the unborn foetus thinking it is a virus.

She is paying privately for treatment to try and help her take a pregnancy to term as it is not available on the NHS.

Donna said: “On April 24 I had my eighth miscarriage. I came back to work on June 6.

“I had a ‘back to work’ interview from my line manager.

“She asked me if I was planning on getting pregnant again and if this was a recurring problem.

“I do not have any children, I have not been able to carry a baby to term.

“I was asked this on my first day back. It took me aback.

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“I thought it was insensitive, she said it was an ongoing concern with me.”

BCUHB have said their treatment of Donna has been in line with their sickness management policy.

Donna continued: “She handed me a letter after the interview to invite me to a formal sickness meeting.

“That was on June 16. I had my contract terminated.”

Donna said the health board gave her 12 weeks pay after working for them since she was a teenager.

She added: “I feel like they picked on me because I do want to have children, I do plan on trying to have them again.

“Of all the people to work for, I’d have thought a health board would have been understanding.

“But it’s not that, I have been victimised because I want to have a family.

“If I had to her ‘no, I don’t plan on getting pregnant, would she have said that I could keep my job?

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“I was so shocked when I was asked that, I had not even explained to colleague about my miscarriage so I had them asking me.

“It made it very difficult.

“I have been through so much between losing the baby, losing my job and I’m trying to move back in with my mum.

“I have been treated unfairly.”

A Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on matters relating to an individual’s employment.

“However, all action taken was in line with the Health Boards Sickness Management Policy.

“This policy is very clear that any absence relating to pregnancy is not included when managing an employee’s sickness absence and judging whether their overall record of absence due to ill-health means they are unable to fulfil their contract of employment.”