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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Or is the NHS re birth trauma?

4 replies

strawberryletter · 08/08/2012 09:19

Long post, but I'm fuming and need sympathy/advice...

Basically, I'm seeing a therapist for PTSD (birth trauma) after the birth of DD in Jan. As part of my treatment, we want to go through my birth notes with an IM as there is stuff I don't understand and I need to make sense of it.

I applied for copies of notes re the birth and my DD's medical notes (as she was poorly afterwards which was part of the problem) in late June. This meant a form for each of us, ID for each of us (birth cert for DD, passport for me) and a cheque. The NHS say they will do it within 40 days of receipt of all documents etc.

About a week later, the NHS trust wrote to say they needed a cheque for each of us (2 applications). Fair enough, I'd misread the letter, so sent a second cheque. This is early July.

Fast forward a month to this week. They write to me again, saying they need ID, and send me another form. I rang up in a state of confusion. They told me they'd received DD's form, a copy of her birth certificate, and one cheque. Nothing else. I needed to resend my form, ID and money.

I hit the roof. They'd LOST my form, a copy of my passport, and a cheque. These are the people whose job it is to look after our medical records. They denied ever receiving them (which is impossible as it was in with DD's form - if they received that, they received everything). I pointed out that if information was missing, then the time to tell me that had been when they wrote to me in July. They repeated they hadn't had all the info they needed.

They then said it would take another 40 days from when they received the info to process our notes, despite sitting on what they claim was an incomplete application for a MONTH. I burst into tears at this point and tried to explain why I needed them (birth trauma). They said they could do nothing to speed up the process.

I am getting married in early Oct and wanted this over and done with by then. Now it probably won't be.

AIBU to ring them every day to check progress and make sure they haven't lost anything else? I'm furious, partly because of the lost info, partly because I'm desperately trying to recover from birth trauma and attempt to have a wedding night with DH-to-be, and partly because the mean bitch of a jobsworth I spoke to on the phone didn't give a shit. Who else can I shout at to get things done?

OP posts:
TaggieMandevilleBlack · 08/08/2012 09:24

Try PALs. Also ask if the hospital does a birth afterthoughs service. Also write to head if midwifery, copy in chief exec.

OhTheConfusion · 08/08/2012 09:27

Firstly, sorry to hear you are having such a horrid time :(

Did you send the forms, ID etc recorded delivery? If so try to find the proof.

I would call again and ask to speak to the head of department. Tell them that you understand the 40day wait is a MAXIMUM and that the government is advising all trusts to aim for 21 day completion on these requests. Point out that you are sure they are trying to keep any further trauma to a minimum and therefore can't understand the heartless treatment you have already recieved regarding a mistake thay have made (misplacing the form).

This must be really hard on you, be strong.

justmatureenough2bdad · 08/08/2012 10:23

hi there
the nhs are buggers for this...took a while to get stuff after inter-partum stillbirth last year.
however you can request this information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act or the Data Protection Act and statutory timescales are laid down for response times (generally 20 days)...they are entitled to charge for provision of this information, but they are obliged to justify any charges... (ie manpower, copying times, paper costs etc)
if they fail to meet that, you can refer them to the Information Commissioner (ombudsman) who can fine/penalise them for failures to meet legal requirements. the information commissioner will have a website with all their details.
once you have that, I would recommend establishing who the chief midwife is for your trust and go direct to her/him and possibly the senior obstetric consultant to discuss your issues.
fyi, once i had that and spoke with the senior folk it was relatively straightforward although the outcome wasn't particularly great (basically came down to them saying that with regard to our complaint regarding midwife care, it was our word against the midwife and they believed the midwife.... (based on previous record))
good luck with everything, but please focus on what you have now, and not how it happened too much.

hugs (i think this might be breaching MN code of conduct, but i'm a rebel Grin )

elizaregina · 08/08/2012 10:45

Unfortunalty the whole system is in complete over run chaos- not surprising really when we have allowed it to be flooded with hundreds of thousands of new patients from over seas and it was already fragile to begin with.

There is probably some poor girl there trying desperatly to fend you and others off - whilst also getting pressure at her end with the chaos.

As others said - try PALS, speak to anyone and everyone - if no results - email loads of people and one will respond.

Its thier mistake - they cant suddenly put you to the back of the queue again!

If its any consolation my form wasnt dealt with nor processed properly whilst i was sat there waiting for a scan!

Over an hour later when EVERYONE who was coming in after me was seen before me, I complained and they couldnt give a *hit!

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