how do i make a formal complaint about my midwife?

[gemsio]

okay bit of a long story but not sure what to do, how to go about it, or whether i should actually make a formal complaint or not. Basically to cut a long story short i was misdiagnosed with g diabetes, and i went for two months without it being treated when she finally read my test results correctly and realised i should have been receiving treatment, i was very sick had developed pre eclampsia and ended up having a emergency c section at 37 weeks. Now it all turned out ok, but it could have been a very different story i was so close to having a stroke or worse losing my life. Do i complain? I dont want it to happen to someone else, just for the sake of a midwife not reading test results properly.my consultant at the hospital has already written to the surgery to tell them their negligence nearly caused my death but thats all that has happend so far.do i take it further? I dont want anyone to go through this again.

 

[Mrs Muffin]

I think it's very important you complain. Complaining about NMC services https://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=3675

how to complain about midwife - google document

 

[ChuggaBump]

poor you, that's awful.

i think it's important to raise the matter so it doesn't happen to someone else, HOWEVER, knowing how short-staffed the NHS is, especially for midwives, I would stress that it wasn't simply a case of the midwife's fault. Yes she should have read the results better, but we all know what it's like when we're run off our feet at work and we do something in a rush and make a mistake. The unfortunate thing for midwives is that they're dealing with people's lives rather than whether a customer gets their order in time or something much less serious.

I don't think that midwife should be punished, because it's not her fault that there aren't enough midwives to go around!!

I do really feel for you though.

 

[Hollys_Twinny]

I'd definatlty complain, she obviously needs a refresher course on this kinda thing, glad you & LO are ok x

 

[suzib76]

im not sure but i would imagine you would have to prove the link between not being treated for GD and developing pre eclampsia? this could be a real stumbling block tbh

i had GD and never required treatment other than a small change in diet

it does seem slightly unbelieveable that results could be read incorrectly, not sure how she could of managed it, and then why did she go back 8 weeks later and double check the results?

its a dodgy one if you ask me but obviously you have to do what you feel necessary so i would guess calling the local health board would be your first port of call

however you also say the consultant has put it in writing that they surgery were negligent, if they have written to them stating that then they must have made this official already

 

[gemsio]

thanks for everyones advice, it may sound unbelieveable but it did happen, the midwife looked at my notes told me everything was fine then eight weeks later looked at the samd notes and said i should ve refered, after tests it needed to be insulin controlled, but i only managed a week before i got very sick and had to be admitted, the consultant said there was no doubt that my untreatede diabetes was the cause of the onset of the pre eclampsia. I will check out that website, so thankyou. X x