Bloody stupid f******g redtape.

[pie]

Ok as my blood pressure was high last Thursday the consultant wanted 3 readings over the following week to check there was no problem. I arranged to have them done at my GP's sugery as it was nearer, I don't have a car and am on the bloody crutches.

The nurse who has been taking my BP says that it was borderline high last time (wed) so I better come back for more checks. So I get to the end of the road, tears streaming down my face. SPD is simply getting worse. Theres no way in hell I can get to the surgery (about a 20 minute walk on a normal day).

So I turn round come straight home, ring GP surgery to explain...they can't send anyone out as I am under shared, call the hospital.

Call the hospital, they have no antenatal community midwives, they would be more than happy to take my BP if I come in though. ARRRRGGGGHHH. I explain, again that I can't even bloody stand today, that I have SPD. She honestly doesn't understand that I can have SPD at 21 weeks. I tell her I've had it since 10 weeks and their bloody physio put me on the crutches. I AM IN PAIN.

So she's going to call me back.

OK who should I scream at GP surgery or hospital. Can I call district nurses direct. I swear by the time any one does get to me my BP will be through the roof.

[M2T]

Oh Pie - you really are getting put through it aren't you!!

Get back on the phone to the GP's surgery and keep phoning until they send someone! I think you should at least get to speak to a gp.... they'll let you do that surely?? Then explain to him that if anything happens to you then it would look pretty bad if a pregnant woman that can hardly walk and with suspected high BP was not given a house call!!

Go on, do it now.... make a total nuisance of yourself until they take you seriously. Well... that's what I'd do anyway FWIW.

Good luck.

[StripyMouse]

pie - buy a lottery ticket on Weds, it must be your turn soon, life just isn?t this unfair. If the hospital wants you to come in then I would suggest they register you as temporarily disabled and send one of those non emergency ambulances for you. It is unrealistic to expect you to get there under your own steam, that might make them contact a district nurse on your behalf... Stick to your guns girl and don?t go out on those bloody crutches to the doctors on your own again, do you hear me?!!
Some surgeries have portable bp monitors that they can lend out to patients who they suspect their pressure goes up from just being in the surgery waiting room. My dad was given one for two weeks and had to keep a log. Worth asking about. Otherwise, if you want to check it for your own purposes Boots sell accurate ones from about £50 I think - a lot of cash though so check out other options first

[SamboM]

Calm down Pie, as you say your bp will just get worse with all this worrying.

Your GP must be able to send someone out to you. What does under shared mean?

Try calling them, ask to speak to the practice manager or a doctor and saying that you have suspected pre-eclampsia but are unable to walk due to your spd. Ask if they are aware of how quickly pre-eclampsia can develop and mention that some close relative is a clincal negligence lawyer and that you have spoken to them and that if anything happens they are heading for a claim against them. Also tell them that you are documenting your calls to them and their responses (which actually you should be doing given how useless they are all being). They will pull their fingers out pretty fast.

This may seem extreme, but in my experience the only way to deal with a situation like this is to get tough. It always works for me. I'll call them if you don't feel up to it, I've had loads of practise!

[pie]

I thought that I would give the m/w I spoke to till 1pm then get back to the GP, I know I either way I probably won't be seen until tomorrow.

I just thought that there must be some sort of procedure in place for visiting pregnant women who for one reason or another find it hard to leave the house, I can't believe that basically if you can't get there you don't get treatment.

StripyMouse, how do you go about registering as disabled? Considering this crap may go on for months I should probably sort something out.

[suedonim]

What about contacting your Health Visitor, Pie? If he/she can't do it they could perhaps set up some sort of action plan. In the meantime...deep calming breaths! Good luck.

[Dahlia]

Bloody doctors surgeries - they like to play god, don't they? I am presuming you are having shared care, so there must be community midwives attached to the surgery, and there must surely be one available. I would have a cup of tea and calm down and wash your face (seriously! works wonders after a big cry), phone again and try not to lose it on the phone, but ask to speak to the practice manager or someone in authority and be very firm about it. They CANNOT just leave you to it, they have a responsibility to you. Good luck and try not to get too worked up, try and hold it together, hard I know when you are in such pain. xxx

[ScummyMummy]

Oh Pie, no specific advice- I never have any luck trying to get doctors out- but I do hope your day gets better and less painful, hon.

[WideWebWitch]

Pie, do you want me to call for you? I can explain that you absolutely can't get there, that you are in pain and need someone out asap to take your bp - I can be firm but icily polite on your behalf if you like. Oh, these receptionists get on my nerves too, who do they think they are? I promise I won't wind them up, I'll just tell them they need to sort it out, be your advocate if you like. Email me on wickedwaterwitchy at hotmail dot com with your phone number (I can call you to sort out details) if you want me to do this. If not (and I do understand, you don't know me) is there someone else who can call on your behalf? But maybe the midwife will call back and be helpful, let's hope so. Definitely buy a lottery ticket!

[AliP]

Pie - you need to phone the surgery and now before the GP's go out on their home visits and try to speak to one of them directly and get them to come to your house whilst they are doing their other home visits.

If you don't catch the GP try the hospital again and see if a postnatal midwife can't attend (personally understand the hospital making teh distinction)

if you don;t get anywhere with this when you speak to your surgery ask for the phone number of you local Primary Care Trust and its Patients Advocasy Service (PALS) and speak to them - they should take it up on your behalf and log it as a complaint against the surgery!

hope this helps

[pie]

m/w just called back. She has checked my address and I am outside the Queen Charlotte's community team area. So she has called St Marys. I am much near to Queen Charlottes but there you go.

She has left a message and will ring them again later, she also gave me the number and told me to call them tomorrow first thing if I don't hear from them today. If, she said, I should feel better then I should go anywhere necessary to get my BP checked. I'm thinking if I don't hear by tomorrow morning I will call GP and get them to come out anyway. You have to call before 10 am to get a home visit so I have missed todays.

This is all so bloody stupid.

Thanks for the offer WWW, if I get stuck tomorrow you will be the first to know!

Here's hoping that this is actually going to get sorted out. Though I do have to say that when I had DD St Marys m/w were terrible.

Thanks for all the ideas.

[SamboM]

Pie, what about Chelsea & Westminster? I know they often get a hard time for their aftercare but they were brilliant for me.

[ScummyMummy]

WWW- great offer. You are a superstar. Don't suppose you fancy a commute up to London to look after my poxy boys while you're in such altruistic mood, do you?!

[pie]

Sambo, I had DD at C&W and am outside their area too, so had the St Marys team then as well.

I can understand if you have been, say, referred from another area to have your baby at a hospital, but I live so close, its just a bloody postcode thing.

[SamboM]

Anyway, your doctor's surgery should send someone out. Have you called them again? I really would be v happy to do it and my dh is a clin neg lawyer so I can threaten them with that!

[morocco]

oh poor you pie
lots of sympathy and wishing you well. If at all pos I'd try and get someone to do lots of phoning round and shouting on your behalf - I'm sure it's the last thing you feel like doing.
When my preeclampsia was developing the best care I got was a phone call diagnosis along the lines of 'so are you feeling alright then' - I still can't believe the crappy service the nhs gets away with sometimes. In my case I waas just too emotional and knackered to sort it out the way I would have done if not pregnant - shouting a lot! So get someone else to do it for you.
Just a thought but as you said, by the time they read your bp you'll be so stressed out it'll be higher than normal anyway - make sure they give you loads of time to relax first before they do any readings - if you've had to travel to get there or even if they come to your house. By the time I finally saw a midwife in my house, I was so irate and regaled her with my whole long rant that my bp was sky high when she did the reading.
Lots of love

[mears]

Pie - phone the midwife's number today that you got for St. Mary's so that you know what you are doing. It will be fine for someone to check it tomorrow - please do not worry that you are developing pre-eclampsia at this stage as it is highly unlikely. It is no wonder that your blood pressure has been up with all the hassles you have had. By you phoning yourself, you may actually feel better because you are in control of events IYKWIM.

[SamboM]

Pie, I have called St John's Ambulance who can't help but gave me the no of the Red Cross. They can provide you with some free transport and will also look at providing you with regular transport to your appointments, or if you need to have bp checked weekly etc.

Call Kieran Smith on 020 8804 0309 - he's really kind! I don't know your name so I said I would tell you to say that he had been talking to Sam Marshall about it.

HTH

[ScummyMummy]

Wow- that sounds good, Sam. Hope it will help, Pie.

[poppyloppy]

You beat me to it, sobernow!

[SamboM]

Forgot to say, he is not in tomorrow so try and call today.

[pie]

wow...ok, I know I'm pregnant but I have tears in my eyes over the generosity shown hear, and a big big BIG thank you to Sambo.

I called the number the m/w gave me...still an answer phone. Called the number you left Sambo, a really sweet guy. He said that the receptionist should not be making the call over who sees me in regard to my BP, that I need to speak to the GP or the nurse. Asked when my next appointment is, and will arrange emergency transport for that, then we will figure out something long term.

Rang back GP surgery, didn't tell the receptionist anything, just that I needed a call from my GP, so am waiting for that call back now. I'll see what she says. The nice man, Mr Smith , told me to call back after speaking to GP incase they are totally inflexible and I do have to go up there...

I'm trying to remember my breathing and stay calm as I really don't want my BP to go through the roof.

I know I'm a couple of weeks early to be looking at pre-eclampsia at the moment, but I hate sitting here thinking that something maybe being missed because of bureaucracy.

Big cyber hug going out to the mumsnet crew though {{{{}}}}

[SamboM]

Good news Pie, and you are so welcome!

Hope the doc gets back to you soon.

[pie]

I should say that the consultant wanted my BP checked as I have been having headaches the last couple of weeks. Not the back of the head, black dots before eyes I know are associated with pre-eclampsia, but still quite bad...anyone got any advice on this?

[SamboM]

Pie, I was monitored for high bp but didn't have headaches or "floaters" (those dots you see) I did get swollen fingers though.

Different people get different symptoms, I got in a right state about it and it was nothing, but if you have raised bp and headaches then you must get it checked out even if it seems early.

How high is your bp?