So unhappy with antenatal care recieved!!

[indianorchi]

Will be interested to read what they have to say so make sure you post!!
That really is awful, I can't believe how badly you've been treated!
I've heard all kinds of bad stories about the NHS but have been treated really well myself. Have had all the right scans and visits and my midwife arranged for a midwife that specialises in teen pregnancy to visit my house which is great. Everyone should move to Aylesbury! (Although then it would probably get just as bad as other places if the numbers went up too much!!)

 

[Dragonfly]

Well Sounds about right for round here only My bloods did actually come back in time and they test urine on the spot. I have only had 2 apps with the hospital so far! They dont tend to care about anyone before that. I cant get a hold of a midwife ever! and havnt got a clue what I am at.

Oh yes and it took my doc 12 weeks to tell the dam hospital i needed my first scan! i called an called and called them and they couldnt do a thing until she dod and i called her and called her and on the 5th week i was preg! thats why the 2 apps i had where all later on ones. I dont trust her one bit now! but i cant change as they have policys here!

When I wasnt preg
But I know my own doc lost my urine sample 4 times! i was in agony and thought i was bloody dying and she lost them and blamed my hospital. I called them up there they had never recieved it and where annoyed! then left another in and waiting another week in agony with no meds and then another and another as the hospital never got all of them. By time they did get them they said it was clear. Suppose it cleared itsefl up but i wouldnt need to be dying ffs!

They loose my xrays up there and file them uunder wrong names! for some weird reason the nurse knew it was filed under P instead of T, had she not i would have waiting from then 4 weeks for a neck injury xray that has left me damaged for the past 2 years, partly there fauly for not seeing i was double jointed in a&e and saying there was noting wrong with me! cheers now my posture is wreaked and i am in pain every day with my neck! doc didnt believe me either.

ok i know thats not all about pregnancy , and i thought reading others here that i would get more attention as i pny have had 2 apps r at least met my midwife but assumed we just had crappier service over here.

 

[tiggertea]

I had similar problems with the care we were told straight out we would receive and so we did end up going for private care in the end.

Our local hospital doesn't even offer the 12 week scan and so first time we would have been seen would have been 22 weeks - with just one midwife appointment before then.

Although it's not what we SHOULD have to do, I would highly recommend paying for private care if you don't get anywhere with the NHS and can afford it. The peace of mind I've received so far has been amazing and completely worth every penny!

Hope all works out for you hun x

 

[XKatX]

Hi babes. Any updates? x x

 

[Jemma_x]

I was so shocked to read your post, that is not acceptable at all. I had a scan at 6 and 10 weeks and got my next scan on 6th november, saw midwife at 6 weeks and see her again on 11th november. I know im high risk so thats why im having more scans and appointments but i know that you should be seeing your m/w more than that hun.

How did it go monday??

 

[Logiebear]

My NHs care is outstanding round here. This is my 4th baby and I have had losses and never had a single complaint about anything. I can get hold of a midwife from several places and get an app every week if I need too.

I think the care or should I say lack of care you have suffered from is awful, just terrible and I would be finding the contact details of the chief executive of your NHS trust and making a formal complaint. I have never heard anything so bad!!!

 

[Mo_mo]

That level of care doesnt sound right Poppeteer. According to stuff i've read about and been told you should have 10 antenatal appts if its your first pregnancy and 7 if its not (assuming your low risk)

 

[nessajane]

OMG thats awful the way youve been treated!! not seeing you again after your 21 week app?? what about checking your blood pressure, babys heartbeat, birth plans etc.... im glad youve rung them to complain!! lets hope it gets sorted out and you get the care your entitled too x

 

[Poppeteer]

Thanks for all your replies ladies

Well i spoke to head midwife and have been told they will investigate the matter further, and that my blood results had been found and uploaded.


Just been to collect them and although my haemoglobin is a bit on the low side, the quadruple result came out good at 1 in 10,000.


I have totally lost faith in them though, and don't feel I am recieving the care I should have, and for that reason we are going private.
They have given us less than the bare minimum, how can i trust them for the safe delivery of our baby??

 

[tiggertea]

It's sad that some of us have had to go privately to ensure we have the simple peace of mind that we deserve throughout pregnancy, but at least this way you will have the reassurance that all is well and have someone to call on any time day or night should you need them.
Good luck xx

 

[allisong6]

i can totaly simpathize, i am 23 weeks with my 3rd buddle and was last seen at 10 weeks
care has been at a minium, with a definate cold atmospher in the room.
at the ultersound the girls their were perfect friendly chatty and welcoming. total perfect.
If only my midwife would take a leaf from these great ladies!!
when it came to my first blood test i had to call 2 weeks after it was taken to find out results. only to find out that the downs test was placed in the wrong vile so i wouldnt be tested for downs, problem is as i had to wait to weeks it was to late for another test. so not a happy mummy bunny!!!
i have spoken to the labour ward on 2 occasions nothing serious just niggly things, would have called my community midwife/midwifes (6 in fact)but surprisingly all their mobile were turned off lol god for bid i actually went in to labour. or had a serious problem.
maybe they dont have resorces now but i remember better care 5 years ago. just dont think they care any more and dont get me started on trying to get a MATB1 FORM LOL. oh the joys

HAPPY NEW YEARS ALL!

 

[Angel2Fire]

I was seen at 8 weeks and 16 weeks by the midwife and had a scan at 12 weeks.

I have another scan booked for 20 weeks and a midwife appointment for 24 weeks.

The community midwifes round here are ridiculously hard to get hold of, they answer their phones each day between 9-10am! and never phone back!

Also, I was told the name of my midwife and booked in with her. Then when it came to the first appointment she was on annual leave and the second she was in a meeting! (So I just saw random midwives.) Why book people in with someone if they're not gonna be there!!

I've been booked in to see a consultant at my 20 week scan cus of health problems but was told it will probably just be someone off their team I see as the consultants are really busy!! (So why not say "I'll book you in with someone from the consultants team! lol)

It does seem to me like they're a little short-staffed and don't have the time to give women the reassurance they need, if not actual care in some circumstances!

 

[honey08]

im so sry uv been treated like this hun u defo need to take it further, even for others in the future ...... but mainley for the rest of ur pregnancy

 

[mummymadness]

As i said earlier in the thread its awfull how people are treated .
For me i got great care with first baby ok care with second baby , Now on third baby its like i dont exsist .
I had my normal 12 weeks and 20 week scan but only seen my mw twice !! and wont see her again untill 5th of feb and im due early March . xx .

 

[Poppeteer]

Wow this is an older thread.

Well seeing as it's here, thought I'd update. I ended up paying privately for antenatal care and the birth as was sick of constantly having to chase and just didn't trust them.

As far as the NHS hospital is concerned they actually think they are still delivering my baby, and have sent an appointment through for the 3rd of feb- that's a whole 2 DAYS before due date!!!!!!!!!!!!


So basically they would have gone from 22 weeks to 40 weeks without seeing me ONCE!!!!! It's laughable.
And all because I am low risk (apparently!- although this is my first so how would they know??????!!!!)

In that time, I've had a placental abruption, 3 unrinary infections, and have developed anaemia. I've been found to need close montioring (1 appointment a week) and need foetal monitoring everytime I go in, just in case.

I've been linked to the CTG machine 5 times in the last 3 weeks alone!

I'm extremely lucky that we could afford private healthcare (mum n dad to thank for that) and find it shocking that all this could have been missed by the crappy NHS hospital.
Can I also add- that the hospital I am having the baby at is actually an NHS hospital but with a private ward- but I have spoken to the midwives and seen the NHS ward and there is a HUGE difference between the two NHS hospitals. So it's def worth having a look and talking to people about different hospital near you as they are not all the same.

 

[dizzy duck]

Your care is unbelievable and I don't blame you one bit for going private. Touch wood my maternity care has been great and Im booked in to see them every few weeks. The community midwives are great and always call back the same day. Its a shame you have not been treated this way. I just want to wish you good luck and hope all goes well for you. Take care XX

 

[Shifter]

I'm glad you were able to get the care privately, it's just such a shame that you had to. My NHS care has been really good, and due to relocating mid pregnancy I have experience of two different areas and three different NHS trusts.

For the first half of my pregnancy I lived in Bristol and my MW was attached to my GP surgery. I saw my doctor at about 4 weeks to inform her of the happy news, she referred me to the MW who booked me in at 10 weeks and booked my first scan for 12 weeks. I saw her again at 16 weeks, and had a scan and consultant appointment at 21 weeks. The hospital were ok, over-crowded and rushed scans, but nothing to really complain about. All my tests were done in normal fashion and results came quickly.

When I moved I booked in with my new GP surgery and was seen by the MW there and the antenatal doctor, who booked me in to my chosen hospital. So I saw my new MW to book in with her at about 23 weeks, then again at 30 (missing out on one at 28 because of xmas and her schedule - she is only at my surgery one day a fortnight).

I got an extra scan at my new hospital at 26 weeks, a booking in appointment with a MW there and a GTT as standard for someone with an immediate family member with diabetes.

There is some overlap because my hospital is in a different trust to my GP surgery and the two trusts have different procedures. Where I live and hence where my GP is do things the same way as in Bristol, where care is community based with only the scans taking place at the hospital. Whereas my chosen hospital, which is further afield as it's the best in the county, (my nearest hospital is one of the worst in the UK) have a full care package for their pregnant women, so I'm getting a bit of both worlds!

Poppeteer - did you make a formal complaint against your old hospital?

 

[LuluBee]

No, that's not normal. I have to say that even though we received a similar level of care appointments wise as other people on here we ended up having to pay for several private consultations and scans because I have an incompetent cervix and the nhs hospital I am under refused to monitor it until I had "lost at least one baby in the second trimester". I think it is disgraceful how wildly antenatal care differs around the country and am very thankful that we had the money to afford private healthcare because otherwise I really believe we could have lost our little boy.

As others have said i would take it further if I were you.

 

[elm]

https://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG062publicinfoWord.doc

The appointments that you should of had (at least) are in that document. I'm so sorry you were treated so appalingly and glad you could afford to go private.

At my booking in appointment my midwife gave me a copy of when I could expect my appointments to be and what should happen at them (in accordance with NICE). One midwife gave me an appoinment a week after I should've had it so I just rang and changed it to when it should be!!!

I've been really impressed with my appointments since I started them (thought the first was a bit late). I've been given an extra one for this week because I've got high bp and I'm having a scan to check on LOs position.

Hope you've complained and they take you seriously xxx

 

[Rosella]

Wow this is an older thread.

Well seeing as it's here, thought I'd update. I ended up paying privately for antenatal care and the birth as was sick of constantly having to chase and just didn't trust them.

As far as the NHS hospital is concerned they actually think they are still delivering my baby, and have sent an appointment through for the 3rd of feb- that's a whole 2 DAYS before due date!!!!!!!!!!!!


So basically they would have gone from 22 weeks to 40 weeks without seeing me ONCE!!!!! It's laughable.
And all because I am low risk (apparently!- although this is my first so how would they know??????!!!!)

In that time, I've had a placental abruption, 3 unrinary infections, and have developed anaemia. I've been found to need close montioring (1 appointment a week) and need foetal monitoring everytime I go in, just in case.

I've been linked to the CTG machine 5 times in the last 3 weeks alone!

I'm extremely lucky that we could afford private healthcare (mum n dad to thank for that) and find it shocking that all this could have been missed by the crappy NHS hospital.
Can I also add- that the hospital I am having the baby at is actually an NHS hospital but with a private ward- but I have spoken to the midwives and seen the NHS ward and there is a HUGE difference between the two NHS hospitals. So it's def worth having a look and talking to people about different hospital near you as they are not all the same.

Hi - I think your story is absolutely appalling. I wanted to pass on some very good advice that was given to me when I had a foot problem and extremely bad service from the NHS - which is basically to write a letter of complaint addressed directly to the hospital Chief Executive, and cc in your GP. If you complain formally in this way they HAVE to launch a proper enquiry. I also wrote to my MP and included a copy of the letter I sent to the Chief Executive. Basically - it worked wonders and I finally got a proper response. It sounds like you are receiving good care privately and I am so glad - but thought I'd let you know in case you decide to pursue it. Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy.