AIBU or are North and East Hertfordshire's antenatal bookings just CRAP?

[GetDownYouWillFall]

Please would you indulge me in a fuming rant about how CRAP my antenatal services are?? Breathe, breathe, breathe.

ARRRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh Just got off the phone I am so angry They are all bl**dy idiots. Bearing in mind I am nearly 11 weeks pregnant, and I have had NO CONTACT so far whatsoever from ANYONE - apart from my GP who I saw very early on and who passed my referral on the next day after seeing her.

I have had to do ALL the chasing. No one actually cares at all. I have experienced nonchalant, passing the buck types all the way through.

I rang my surgery last week - "nothing to do with us, ring the hospital". So I rang the large main hospital (the one with the delivery unit). They don't deal with bookings at my local hospital - where I specifically stated I wanted my scan / blood tests etc. But she assured me she would pass it on.

So I wait ANOTHER WEEK. Still nothing.

So I ring them again today. Only have a switchboard number for the main hospital. The local hospital is covered by same switchboard. Ask to be put through to local hospital where they do the scans. Wait and wait and wait. Finally someone answers. Then have to be put through AGAIN to antenatal bookings. It rings and rings and rings. Left it ringing for 5 WHOLE MINUTES. No one answers. Not even an answerphone

So I ring back the switchboard - "can I have the direct number for antenatal please as they are not picking up" - them: "no, because they don't have a number" WHAT?>???! They don't have a number? "No, you have to ring switchboard".

So I go through the whole process of being put through to different places 3 times AGAIN. Only for the phone to ring and ring again. Doesn't divert back to switchboard. I am so fuming.

Left it a bit, thinking "no come on, calme down, give them the benefit of the doubt, it's lunchtime". Ring back half an hour later same story.

FINALLY get through to someone after repeating this process about 4 times. She has done me a letter - HURRAH I think! But - GET THIS - their letters are SENT OUT BY A VOLUNTEER, who isn't in today, and may not be in again this week, so it won't go out today, and probably won't get to me till after the weekend a[angryu]

SO I say, can you give me the DATE of the appointment? Yes 4th March. Great I say, do I need a full bladder? "Oh no, this isn't your scan date" - WHAT?????? - this is your booking in date. If you want a scan you have to ring THIS number.......

So I have to ring yet ANOTHER number to try and get my scan booked.

When I finally got through she said :But you've probably missed the slot now for a nuchal scan as you are over 12 weeks. No, I'm not, I say, I am 11 weeks this weekend. "But according to your LMP you are nearly 13 weeks" - "But I have long cycles and I KNOW when I ov'd - I know my dates" - oh but we go by LMP - WHAT???!?!!!!!!!!! (as if ALL women in the world have 28 day cycles - idiots)

Eventually she said "ok if you want to go by what you think YOUR dates are that's up to you" Errr lady, I think I know my dates thanks hmm So she gives me a scan date right at the END of the period you are allowed to have them for the nuchal scan. And the icing on the cake - it's not at my local hospital, it's at the big main one - the one I was trying to avoid going to in the first place.

Thank you I say. Do I get a letter confirming my scan date and where I am supposed to go? "Oh no we don't normally send out letters, why do you need a letter?". (err, maybe because I need something in writing to confirm to me it's actually booked because you are all so flippin incompetent that I have absolutely NO confidence in you or any of your systems whatsoever)

Excuse me, am I being unreasonable here or IS THIS JUST CRAP????????????

Getdown!! Congrats on your pregnancy. I'm so sorry you're having such an awful time getting antenatal care sorted.
I'm in East Herts too - booked in at Harlow (any chance you can switch to going there??) which hasn't been a problem despite me living in herts rather than Essex. My Dr was very open about the patient having ultimate choice in where they go and that it shouldn't make any difference. I saw my GP at 6 weeks, then heard nothing until I was 9 weeks when the midwife rang me out of the blue on a sunday evening and gave me a booking appt for the following friday and a scan date for when they thought I was exactly 12 weeks (I wasn't, but like you, no-one would listen to me about long and irregulare cycles, which are never anything like 28 days!)
Really glad you've got a scan date and hope all goes really well

Oh, and of course YANBU!!!

thanks Eskarina. It's weird isn't it? It just seems such a random lottery when and if you get contacted. I honestly believe I wouldn't have got an appt unless I'd been on the phone to them today,

Don't want to go to Harlow as heard you have to have all your mw appointments and blood tests over there? Would rather have them locally!

I'm having my mw appointments at my GP surgery, so that's not too bad. Bloods can be done at Herts & Essex in Bishops Stortford which is quite convenient for work for me, but no better than Harlow if you're not that way on anyway! Anyway I was really ill for my 10 week bloods, so didn't have them done until 12 weeks, along with the blood for Nuchal scan. I'm hoping to get away with only going over to Harlow for the 2 scans and then BS for the next round of blood tests at 28 weeks, with everything else done closer to home at the surgery...well, apart from the birth itself of course!! What about the QE2? Is that any better for you? Though they're closing the maternity ward there "in the Autumn" and didn't say when. I'm due in August and didn't fancy turning up there to find no staff or facilities remaining!

things are winding down at the QEII and TBH I had a terrible experience there last time and vowed never to go back.

I quite fancied Lister as apparently has a shiny new maternity suite!!

Sorry to hear you were really ill at 10 weeks.