to make a complaint about my midwife

[meganorks]

I don't think I am, but I am not sure what good will come of it.

I am 27 weeks pregnant with my second child and still trying to track the midwife down for the 24wk appointment she didn't turn up to. I am thinking now I might as well give up as I have my 28 wk hospital appointment soon.

My booking appointment was ok - she turned up when she said she would. She told me to wait a week or so for a letter direct from the hospital about my scan. When this didn't come I called and she said she would chase it up. She then confirmed that she had redone my paperwork. Still nothing came so I called the hospital. They had no record of me as they had not had anything from the doctors. I spent several days chasing the local surgery to get it sorted finally confirming with the hospital that they had it Christmas eve.

At 16wks I realised we didn't have anything booked for that appointment. Arranged for the midwife to come the following week but she text late in the afternoon to say she had only just left the hospital and was it still convenient to come over (it wasn't). So instead she came the following week. At that point I made sure we booked in the 24 wk appointment so wouldn't have all the bother again.

So to the 24 wk appointment. She didn't turn up. I tried to call, left messages and sent texts to try and rearrange but got no response at all. In the end I called the doctors and I told them I needed my MATB1 form. A friend was seeing her that day and said she would also tell her I needed my form. She said she was very sheepish and said she would leave it for me. She left a note on it to say she could see me this Tuesday, but again when I tried to arrange this got no response. Wednesday she sent a text to say she could do Thursday but I was working so this wasn't possible.

So, what do I do? Just keep chasing? Complain? Who to? The doctors surgery I guess. Just can't see anything happening about it. Don't think there is another midwife there for me to see instead.

You could have a look on this website:

www.nmc-uk.org/About-us/How-to-make-a-complaint-about-the-NMC/

HTH

Sorry, try again with the link:

www.nmc-uk.org/About-us/How-to-make-a-complaint-about-the-NMC/

I would be requesting a different midwife

Contact the supervisor of midwives at the local hospital and make a complaint. I did this and got allocated a new midwife immediately.

please complain at least this was your second what if this was your first? .

ask the docs they will know, i had to complain about mine, turned out she was the head of our MW in the area! even worse.....

Thanks for the link. I will take a look. The friend who I mentioned seeing her has also been having problems getting hold of her and getting an appointment. We were wondering if it is because it is our second.

Complain and request a different midwife.

Ice

Thats a link to complain about the Nursing & Midwifery Council who control registration of nurses and midwives... you can make complaints about individuals via the NMC but generally its fitness to practice issues that have already gone through formal complaints in the Trust and incidents of a serious nature.

OP you would be better to complain to the Practice Manager at the GP tho the midwife will probably be employed by the local maternity unit / hospital so it's worth discussing it with the Modern Matron there too.

Could you try your GP? I have dealt with this recently, I have a ten week old little boy.

I had problems with my care during pregnancy, I was high risk and it seemed I got to my due date and I was basically ditched as a patient. I couldn't get an appointment and no one seemed to have a clue what the plan for me was (it had only been agreed to let me try for a natural birth about three weeks prior).

I spoke to a new doctor at my doctor's surgery who was brilliant, he went a bit irate about my lack of care and phoned them up and I think yelled at a few people.

I was given more appointments after that but there still seemed to be a lack of a plan and no one seemed to be making any decisions. I told them I wanted to get the consultant's opinion when I was nine days overdue despite being originally told there was no way I was going to be allowed to go over due. He told me to head straight to hospital from that appointment and I had a c-section the next day.

Three weeks weeks of crap unhelpful appointments later they told me I had post natal depression and signed me off with no follow up care/plan in one ten minute appointment.

The 'care' is appalling and I dread to think what happens with women who are less willing to chase up appointments, demand someone get back to them and complain when they are ignored. I would definitely advise you to speak to your GP and to keep on at them, they will completely ignore you if you don't chase it up.

Lili that is terrible Did you have PND or was that a misdiagnosis???? I hope it was for your sake, as it would be dreadful to deal with that on your own!

OP, second the idea of calling the supervisor of midwives and/or talking to your GP. Good luck!

see your gp, this happened to me and i just kept seeing my gp, she was really understanding

Ah yes dayshift, apologies. I just remembered something from a leaflet I was given about the NMC being the governing body. As you say, a bit premature and better to take local steps first.

I would complain to the practice manager, yes. It sounds appalling.

No, not unreasonable to complain. That said, round here you don't get a 24w appt unless its your first and go from 16w to 28w with no appt anyway.