Aibu to be getting fed up with NHS

[naty1]

Im pg and when making booking appt with mw i said can i make it sooner than 9wks (it was less than 6wks at the time) as i could see 12 weeks would fall over Xmas. Mw says dont worry theyre still open most of the time and they had no earlier booking appts.
So had booking this week and got NT scan date letter today.
For 14+1 :( :(
As its ivf im pretty certain of date but that doesnt mean their estimate of 14+1 always works for everyone as the baby could easily be a day at least bigger making it a big waste of time.
I see they are going to be busy over xmas but dont think its acceptable. Its over a month away so they must be able to plan their appointments and its not like im delayed from 12 weeks by 3 days to 12+3 but over2 weeks later.
Though i guess thinking about it they are probably short staffed from now till new year

As its the weekend i cant call or do anything but be upset, as i can see them having any appts to change to. They are likely to be even later. I wish we could be involved in choosing appt rather than - you are given it

I just feel the 'service' im getting from nhs has been quite poor.
(DC1 my nt scan magically became only a pointless dating (due to ivf) due to paperwork error though to their credit they squeezed a nt scan in later that week)

[IKYTWTLYA]

YABU to be "fed up with the NHS"

YANBU to be a little bit disappointed with this.

You will still have 24/7 free, safe, evidence-based healthcare. Having a baby will not cost you thousands and is unlikely to leave you permanently disabled, disfigured or dead.

There's no way the midwife gave you that date just to piss you off. It'll be the next available date.

Calm down and enjoy being pregnant. If you're that worried pay to go private. As you would have to in most of the rest of the world.

[IKYTWTLYA]

Sorry, that's not terribly sympathetic. I'm just very aware of how precious and over burdened the NHS is. And also that in these situations the person involved is just doing the best they can with the resources they have.

If you're concerned about Down's syndrome you can have other tests also on the NHS. Although there's a ton of stuff that can't be picked up prenatally. (I run a support group for people with just one genetic disorder)

Best of luck

[Izzy24]

If you want the combined screening test for Downs this needs to be done between 11 weeks and 13 weeks 6 days.

[18yearstooold]

I thought screening could be done up to 14 +1?

It is a small window of time to get lots of women scanned but the NHS is a fantastic service in comparison to the health care systems other countries have

[naty1]

Its cost 10k to get pg so far. Surely thats enough??
They shouldnt offer/ encourage screening that they cannot meet. Deliver accurately (nice guidelines 13+6) so it really is at the limit.
I guess i feel there is an element of incompetence here between mw/hospital that if they need to they should be booking earlier to get the scans booked early enough not last possible day- what if it was a weekend.
Clearly nhs isnt free (just at point of receipt) so many have paid lots for this burdened service.
Why should i pay twice for the same service.
If it is too late at 14+1 its too late to go private so i have to go private - just in case they have most likely screwed up on the apt date.
Which im looking into.

Im sure 14+1 is fine if say you go in at 13+x and find you are actually 14+1 clearly there is no choice, but to go in knowing you are that close to deadline seems foolish.

The nhs is probably overburdened from exactly this sort of reason so for example i go in find im 14+3 they carry on do the test (or not but the time is wasted) then i get offered another appt for bloods at 15/16 weeks taking up more time.
And as explained previously i had 2 dating/nt scans because the paperwork was wrong then.

Oh and im now going to bother them about moving the appt. and because i knew they were likely to do this i bothered mw again wasting time.

I agree they didnt do this to piss me off, but that is the effect.

For various reasons leaving until the last minute isnt always the best idea.

1. where they got scan type wrong
   
2. the baby was lying the wrong way last time
   
3. probably unusual but they couldnt take any blood and had to call a different dr, not unusual for me but most people
   
   I guess its good there is something but my extensive contact with nhs in last 5 yrs has really worn me down and i have to double check everything, dont trust anyone to know what they are doing. And honestly its quite stressful when you cant trust them to know/ or apply guidelines.
   I wouldnt be surprised if theyve increased the limit because they werent meeting it..
   
   Oh well if they miss DS then itll only cost thenhs another few hundred thousand.
   
   But so everyone booked the same day as me will be offered this date even though its probably outside the window.

[naty1]

Also should have said ivf apparently can make the bloods come back unusual.
I cant risk amnio (as i cant exactly get pg again if something goes wrong)
Im into a higher risk category (probably just)
It ll be too late for cvs, even if i did want that.

[Funkytown]

if you are annoyed at the date and can't move it pay to go private
yabu

[londonrach]

Yabu.

[FloraPost]

Why would it cost the NHS another few hundred thousand pounds if your child has Down's? Would you try to sue?

[naty1]

Why should i go private??
Pretty drained from spending 10k getting pg. would be sensible to keep the money in case i needed another round.
Maybe i'll just send the nhs the bill. With the probably very different results.
If the nhs 'cant squeeze me in ' with all their capacity why would private be able to.
And i havent been left a lot of notice by nhs have i?
If id contacted privately at 6wks im sure that would be fine.
Now over 4 weeks later at 10wks i have about 3 weeks to get an appt.

Im following an antenatal thread and so far noone else has been pushed close to the limit - suggesting my hospital is useless.

[wannabestressfree]

Yabu

[SilverStars]

Due to Christmas/new year holidays I cannot have my 20 week scan then either. I came back as v high risk for abnormalities after my 12 week scan and I cannot have a cvs/amnio for medical reasons so have had a frustrating wait. Holiday times are hard. I have had/will have had 8 weeks of anxiety waiting for my scan as no appointments offered in between once saw specialist midwife to warn of risks. We already know there is a potential issue with placenta from last scan but can do nothing until can see a consultant.

I paid over £700 in the end for private NIFTY/ Harmony tests but found out they are inconclusive. But holidays do not make allowances for worries as I have found.

I hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy.

[ILovePud]

Congratulations on your pregnancy, some aspects of NHS bureaucracy can be very frustrating and some services are very stretched. However there are lots of excellent, caring and hard working staff and hopefully the care through the rest of your pregnancy will be better.

[LuckyCharms]

Well I'd complain to be honest. Go through PALS if necessary. IVF pregnancy is stressful enough, and think (but not sure) it puts you at slightly higher risk for DS as well.

[naty1]

No i wouldnt sue (probably) as i understand screening is only 70% effective anyway.
But surely im assuming the heart defects, maybe hole in the heart ops cost a fair bit in a young child. Plus also assuming they would need more gp and hospital appts growing up.
Possibly care as an adult (with older parents)
Apparently 94% DS children are aborted. So i think they are screening as it saves nhs money long term?
Think im basing it on seeing documentary of the parents with disabled children estimate of 250k per child in support.
I guess DLA too. Must all add up.
Not entirely sure - which is why im having the screening (or am i)

[FloraPost]

Sigh.

Less than half of people with Downs have heart defects. Not all of those heart defects require surgery. You don't have to claim DLA.

[aermingers]

Was the IVF done privately at an NHS clinic? If so you could try asking if the clinic could put a rocket up them. Sometimes they're quite good with that, especially when they're aware how much you've gone through to get to this point.

[MrsPnut]

With both my pregnancies, my first scan was at 20 weeks. I'm not sure all this angst about scans in an exact 12-14 week window are necessary.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

The NHS website states that the NT scan can be done between 11+2 wks and 14+1 wks, so you're in date... here

You could call the ultrasound department and speak to them, they might have a late cancellation. If you're that worried, I'd get ringing privately as they might have space, you won't know until you've called them.

However the NHS is marvellous. Yes appointments take ages and you often don't get to choose a convenient day/time, however you're having a scan done for free, plus blood tests, plus other scans, MW/consultant appmts, using the labour ward, hopefully not surgery, but at least staying for a few hours after the birth... all at no cost at time of use. I'd rather that, than be worried about paying for anti-natal care, worried about paying for an emergency c-sec or post-natal surgery/care, worried about the cost of every day I stay in hospital.

[naty1]

Silver i hope your appt when it comes is good news, that must be so frustrating especially the failed harmony etc. :(
Thats part of my concern that harmony would fail and id have wasted so much money - do you get a refund? Or did it just not pick up on the specific issue?
I guess nhs just doesnt have much flexibility/compassion.

Not sure if/how much ivf increases risk. But have seen people with high indicating blood results and comments of ivf affecting bloods.
I dont think it did in first pg as the risk was like 1:10000 maybe.
Its more likely maybe age related as by the time ivf works you are likely to be an older mum-to-be..

Nice to know who to complain to. But would be concerned about compromising future care. Though i guess it could improve it if they know im a complainer :)

It is unfortunate the bad experiences stick more in your head.

Ive had so many scans now maybe i could just go in and measure it myself :)

[ovaltine]

I did my booking appt at 7/8 weeks. Scan date would have been 14w. Called them and told I couldn't make as was on holiday and could make any cancellation within the next week & half. Was very polite but firm on the phone. Got a call back within a few hours with appt for the next day. Just as well I got it done earlier as if I'd waited for scan date I would have actually been about 15 weeks then! So try that :)

[WinnieTheBitch]

If you have paid out £10,000 already I assume your going to keep the baby and love he/she is no matter what? So does it matter if the baby has anything wrong with him?

I'm totally for mothers/parents choice but if your 100% sure your going to keep the baby no matter what - it doesn't matter about the tests or when you have them surely?

[TheRealMaryMillington]

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

Ring up, speak to the supervisor of midwives and firmly and politely explain your worries and concerns. Maybe say you are unsure if you were right about dates and your extreme worry about the possibilities of DS. A machine has given you this date, based on the trust's policy and the window for dating scans. A human being will probably try to find a way to get you seen sooner.

You may find a cancellation comes up.

Some trusts don't offer nuchal screening btw. At all.

YABU to be pissed off with the NHS. It's a fucking marvel, and without it you'd be paying for a damn sight more than the costs of a private scan.

[Monmouth]

The combined test for Downs will pick up 90%, the quadruple test offered after 14+ will pick up just under 90%.

You say you think the nhs are screening for Downs to save money but you don't have to have the test.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

I really don't get the comment about having a baby with DS costing the NHS thousands (that presumably it wouldn't do if you had the test).