Bit of a rant over transfer of care

[Trurouge]

Since finding out I was pregnant I have wanted my care transferring to the hospital of my choice as my current is midwife led and I am high risk. I have finally, after some debate, got the hospital I wanted and received a booking in appointment this morning. It would appear that I have to start right from the beginning again and will have a whole new set of notes. Why? I'm already past the half way mark of this pregnancy and this is baby number 5! No one seems to be able to tell me why the colour of my hand held notes is so important

[LoveLetters]

Maybe hospitals have sightly different procedures and has to be done again

[OhEmGeee]

Exact same thing happened to me. It's frustrating but go with it, it was actually a good way of meeting my midwife who turned out to be much lovelier than my old one!

[Thurlow]

I moved when I was around 33w pregnant, so I had a "booking in" appointment at 35w at our new hospital. The mw did look rather surprised when I waddled into her "booking in" appointment - the size of me at that stage, it was hardly like I couldn't have realised until then...

I think they don't want to rely on notes from another hospital, and they possibly have different questions and sections that need to be answered. I don't think it's worth getting wound up about. They're just being thorough, which is surely a good thing?

[Number3cometome]

Completely normal, they have to do everything again themselves.

Sounds like they are being proper and looking after you, so nothing to complain or be annoyed about at all

[FishWithABicycle]

It makes 100% sense to me - the new hospital has a team more experienced in dealing with high-risk pregnancies such as yours. Do you really want them relying on notes made by someone with less experience of high-risk pregnancies? Or do you want them to satisfy themselves that nothing has been missed by starting from the beginning?

[Roseotto]

Does it matter? Best not to get hung up on the small stuff.

[Lunastarfish]

I understand it can be annoying but i expect it is just a policy decision in order to limit liability on their behalf if something happened to you or your baby. It's very sensible really and in everyone's best interests.

[Trurouge]

The reason I am so annoyed is twofold, firstly I have had the same midwife for my last 3 pregnancies (last 2 births), the hospital I transferred from have only very recently gone to midwife led and the same consultant is still onsite as I have already had 2 appointments with him. (I suppose I should also note that my first 2 pregnancies and births I had were at the hospital I have now transferred to). Secondly, as we all know the nhs is hardly swimming in money and this rewriting my old notes into a new folder seems to simply be money down the drain? Perhaps if money wasn't spent on copious amounts of folders my original hospital wouldn't have had to cut back their services and I could have stayed there?!

[NurseP]

My hand held notes are written with a special pen which transfers the information to their computer system. Could it be that? Or as others have said, they need to build your care around information gained by themselves, not the notes of others , gong through another booking also gives the oppopportunity ld a patient-

[NurseP]

*to build a patient-carer relationship which surely is a good thing?

Sorry , last post went too soon! Stupid phone!

[WinterOfOurDiscountTents15]

They are doing their jobs properly. This is not something to be complaining about, count yourself lucky.

[Loiterer]

We moved house when I was 35 weeks pregnant and I had to transfer my care. I had to 'start again' at the new hospital, and carry both sets of notes. Different hospitals, different procedures. I found it slightly annoying having to go over the same info at a second booking appointment but... you do what you have to do!