to think they should bloody well fit me in

[nancydrewrockinaroundxmastree]

Ok so this is a bit of a rant really - sorry.

I am 26 wks pregnant and 5 weeks ago I had an anomoly scan which was unexpectedly ok due to lots of early complications. The consultant noted a cyst which she wanted to keep an eye on along with the size of DD and booked me in for a scan a few days before Christmas.

The timing is significant becasue my DH is currently posted in the ME and me and the DC are due to fly out to spend Christmas with him on Christmas Eve and the consultant needs to give me a fit to fly letter.

Yesterday the appointment was cancelled and I am told that there is not another appointment until the new year.

Not a single bloody one with any consultant from now until the 9th January.

Surely this is just bollocks - they just can't be arsed to sort this out. No appointment means no flight.

I am so pissed off (not least because when I burst in to tears on the phone the receptionist told me that she couldn't deal with me if I was crying and to stop going off on one - )

What a bitch! I would complain about the receptionist for a start.
What reason did they give you for cancelling the appointment? Could you not call your consultant and see what she says?

YANBU - on a practical note is there any way you can get a private appointment. I know you should not have to etc etc but if you want to be able to fly out....

I hope that it gets sorted out.

Can you get beyond the receptionist to the consultant's secretary on the phone and explain your circumstances? Or if it's making you very emotional, get someone to call on your behalf? Would your midwife help you out here?

I suspect it's just a matter of speaking to someone with half an ounce of common sense and compassion who will fit you in somewhere.

YANBU and i agree with tigitigi re the private appt.

I mentioned a private appointment and the response was that my consultant is not available (which I assumed meant she was away) and she is unlikely to permit someone else to sign off on my care.

Then I was told that every appointment was full so I don't know what the position is. I have left a message for the consultant to call me and I have a routine midwife appointment this afternoon so hopefully she can help.

I would go in and speak to them in person. They can't fob you off so easily face to face.

Don't take no for an answer. And stay calm.

YANBU

She can't help you if you're crying???? She works where?? FFS, why did she take the damn job then!

If you work in the medical world, you damn well have to expect heightened emotions. I am beyond bored of people who don't realise this! It goes with the job - I know it's not nice, but it really does go with the job!

OP, did you get her name? Is there another Receptonist you can speak to?

I would certainly have a word with your midwife this afternoon because - flight aside - they've suddenly added a three week delay to something they told you they wanted to have a look at.

Perhaps a call from her to the Receptionist about things might get you somewhere!

YANBU - but you know that :)

She was extremely rude - even if you had (and I know you hadn't) been rude, the way she spoke to you was unprofessional and exceptionally rude. I would complain about that LOUDLY. Bloody unbelievable!!

As for the appointment - no it's not good enough, they need to find you another consultant and sort it out. You are pregnant and need monitoring (& fit to fly cert) it's not like you are getting botox!

Ring back - ask why when you had an appointment - your consultant it not no longer available and why there is not a replacement consultant.

Explain that you do not care how she arranges it - just that she does. You had an appointment, which you had had for quite some time and that she will need to re-arrange an appointment for you.

Tell her that unless she sorts this out today you will be taking it further.

Horrible, horrible woman. Try to speak to a consultant's secretary ASAP, or another human being. This needs sorting today.

What is there was an emergency issue - would there be no consultants or staff available then? What a load of rubbish.

Aw thanks everyone!

I feel like practically this will get sorted. I cannot allow for it not to be so if I have to turn up every day for a week and sit there all day that is what will happen.

I was just so bloody shocked at the receptionist. I was very upset, not at all angry, or argumentative, no raised voices. I just burst into tears as soon as she said there was nothing she could do which really wound her up

And aside from that the situation is absurd. It is a big hospital, how on earth can they have no one available or nothing that can be juggled?

Speak to one of the matrons or the sister in charge of clinic.

Yanbu

How would the airline know that you need a fit to fly letter - can you not just fly?

or turn up tomorrow at the hospital saying you are bleeding or in pain or something - then they'd HAVE to see you and you could say 'while I'm here...........'

I wouldn't do that (sorry tracyk), if you need a fit-to-fly letter you're not likely to get one if you claim to have had pain/bleeding etc.

I dont understand why you need a fit-to-fly letter anyway, you're having a normal, healthy pregnancy

Goodness! Did the receptionist understand your circumstances? What an unfeeling cow if she did. I agree, just get someone to call on your behalf and sort it out for you. You don't need the added stress right now.

If course you should be fitted in. Hope it all gets sorted out asap.

If you have been told you need one your travel insurance will not cover you if you fly without one (regardless of whether the airline knows or not).

not permit anyone else to sign off on your care - crazy - what happens when she takes a holiday - a locum covers it of course.

I would speak to the MW this afternoon and possibly your GP. Perhaps you can go private with another consultant - there are usually a few at each hospital who cover private care. They may do you a one off appointment.

Like some of the others, I don't understand why the consultant needs to authorise your letter. If the appointment can wait till 9th Jan, you are obviously deemed fine in the meantime and your GP can do the letter. None of the issues that your consultant is keeping an eye on seem to constitute a flight risk.

Re the fitness to fly letter BA rules are that after 26 week you need a drs note to fly. The last time I travelled by plane I was asked how pregnant I was. I replied 21 weeks and they asked if I had my notes which I did but they didn't then ask to see them.

Further to that my insurance will only cover me in second and third trimester with a letter from a doctor.

My GP refused to write the letter when I asked her weeks ago (trying to be organised!) She said she wasn't comfortable on making such a pronunciation on the basis that I was under consultant care at the hospital and it should be her that wrote the letter. I am not clear whether that is a matter of professional courtesy or passing the buck.

mishy I had explained to the receptionist why I was so keen to get an appointment. In fact I said something along the lines of "I wouldn't usually make a fuss but...(and then explained". When I started crying her attitude was "you need to calm down, why are you making a fuss". When I apologised for getting upset, I again explained the news she had just given me was effectively preventing me and my DC from spending Christmas with DH she replied "I can't do anything about that".

You know what now I write it down it is mad. You kind of get numbe to people being ranty and unhelpful. But fucking hell what a bitch: potentially ruins christmas and then tells me to stop going off on one

You do need a fit to fly letter after about 28 weeks, regardless.

Go in, in person and make a nuisance of yourself. It's the only way this will be resolved, unfortunately. I'm so sorry - what a bitch of a receptionist.

YABslightlyU.

The NHS does not exist to make sure you can fly to the middle East to see your DH. They are there to make sure you and your baby are safe, and they are doing that. It is your choice to fly, and although I understand you have difficult circumstances, they are not the responsibility of the NHS.

The receptionist does sound quite uncaring, but if there are no appointments there are no appointnments, she can't just magic one up for you because you cry and say it's because you want to see your husband. The two of you are the people that chose to have a pregnancy while he was out of the country. It's not really anyone elses problem.

I don't see why you can't get a private appointment. Ring some private places and see what they say. Presumable the airline don't know which consultant you are under, and will accept a letter from anyone as long as they are qualified.

Yanbu

I have just had a similar experience with my dd, long story short, massive reflux issues for 3 months, offered an appointment for January! I proceeded to get upset and state my case, and what do you know... The appointment that was the soonest one we could have 5 mins earlier now moved to 7 Dec!

Be persistent, these secretaries are like hitlers, gate keeping to gain authority they don't actually have, all cut from the same cloth they are!

curlymama You know what it should be someone elses problem. On the basis that I was told I would be seen before Christmas we booked our flights out, rather than deal with the complications of DH trying to fly in. The fact that they leave it until 3 weeks before Christmas to inform me that an appointment that has been booked since October is now longer available, and neither is any other appointment in a just over 4 week period is absurd and I think they should accept a little responsibility for trying to sort it out.

And of course it is not just about getting a "fit to fly" letter. Having been told at every stage that it was unlikely I would get this far I would quite like to know before I go away for 3 weeks that everything is ok with my baby! If that is not what the NHS is for then why offer me the scan in the first place?

Anyway all is well. My midwife phoned the hospital whilst I was at my appointment and low! I have an apppointment to be scanned by my consultant on Monday morning (Oh and my fab midwife gave me a letter herself )

Thats fantastic news, now stop worrying and stressing the baby out! Good luck at your appointment.

curlymama way to be compassionate

And nice one, NancyDrew. Glad it's all worked out