AIBU Fuming with gp surgery

[CookieKatie]

I'm 5 weeks pregnant and had a gp appintment for next Wednesday all lined up. Was happy as it coincided with annual leave I'd for travel for a friend's wedding.

I booked it last Friday and was really excited!
They've just rung up to tell me it shouldn't have been booked in the first place the midwife isn't in AND the only time she sees new appointments is 12.20 pm & 12.40pm on Tuesdays and 2pm &2.20 pm Wednesdays.

Aibu to think they should try to fit me in later on the Tuesday - it's not my fault they cancelled :( not ready to tell work (plus my manager is on annual leave for two weeks so can't tell her even if I wanted too) so would have to take annual leave for any appointments made!

Firstly you need to calm down . Getting stressed is no good for you or indeed your baby.
But with the greatest respect You're not Royalty carrying a future king or queen. She's not going to just fit you in out of her hours. Because of the surgerys mistake.
If the MW only does those hours. Thats hardly the surgerys fault. Yes they booked you in error but what it was human error. .
In regards to work just tell them you have an appointment. Youre not obliged to tell them the nature of your visit. Thats confidential.

Congratulations, OP, but that's awfully early to be having an appointment. Much better to wait a few weeks.

If here line manager is away though StepAway, shouldn't requests go up to the next manager? Her boss's boss? I'd thought that a workplace had to give time off for medical appointments, though they can ask that employees try to book them outside of working hours.

Are you expecting all your maternity appointments to be arranged in accordance with your annual leave at your request? Youre in for a shock.

lol.

is this your first?

congrats btw

Ours won't see you until 10 weeks and you need to buy a test yourself. As above if you need consultant care you are in for a big shock. I had to see the consult weekly and the average wait was 2 hours each time.

why would you see a dr that early pg? You usually wait . What normal people do is take time of work for appointments. they are allowed to have this time.

All they did at my first appointment was confirm my pregnancy and give me due date, which I knew anyway.

Your work is required to give you time off for antenatal appointments, no annual leave needed.

"Employers must give pregnant employees time off for antenatal care and pay their normal rate for this time off."
www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

What everyone else said. They really aren't fussed about seeing you at 5 weeks unless there's a medical reason. Save the fuming for something else.

It's really early op - have you been asked to see a midwife this early? Is it your first baby?

What is the point of the GP appointment? I self-referred to a midwife and wasn't seen until 8 weeks.

Reminds me of the foreign girl who came into our doctor's surgery wanting the doctor to confirm her pregnancy (because "her boyfriend wanted to check"). It took 2 people to convince her that GPs don't do that here.

I didnt even get my bum on the seat when i went for GP referral. As i was walking through the door GP barked "whats the problem?" i said "i think i'm pregnant" and before i could even get sat down he said "right i'll send a referral. Which hospital?" I answered and that was it. He didnt confirm pregnancy or anything

My work (nhs) asks that all appointments are made outside of working hours and any that aren't need proof, so GP appointments wouldn't be authorised as there is a presumption you can get an appointment outside of office hours i.e it's not an allocated slot outside of your control.

Yes maternity appointments are protected but a lot of people choose not to tell anyone, including their employer, until 12 weeks. Personally I did because there was zero chance of it being 'leaked' and I would have rather not had to explain in great detail should anything had gone wrong early on.

It'sAllGoingToBeFine OP doesn't want to tell her work she's pg yet.

big loads of normal people don't tell their employers about a pregnancy until at least after the first trimester scan, so how do you suggest they get the time off for a (usually pretty inconvenient as all the normal time appointments are booked up by people at later stage in pregnancy as can book ahead) booking visit?

I know I went on a rostered day off, but if it hadn't fallen that way I'd have had to take annual leave for the day.

Also, I had my booking visit to mw at about 8 weeks, but got the appointment through as soon as I rang and spoke to the receptionist for the mw - dc1 so pretty much before the test stick was dry!

I'm guessing this is your first?

Appt will be - ooh you're pregnant, come back when you are more pregnant.

Midwife also does not work for the GP. The surgery has no control or input into what hours or days she does, they are simply providing a room. They can't get her to change them, book an extra person or anything at all.

yeah just to echo with all mine I didn't see a gp, just midwife at around 9 - 10 weeks iirc for booking in. then nothing till first scan at 12 - 13 weeks

honestly unless there is a problem you don't need to see a doc

GPs don't manage or control midwife appointments - or indeed midwives

GP surgeries just act as hosts for community midwives, who are employed by hospitals or community healthcare providers. So you may or may not be AIBU to be cross, but it is not the surgery's fault - they have no control over when your mw works.

I didn't realise anyone would even think to go to their gp just because they are pg. what do you expect the gp to do? You are not Ill, you are pg!
Just phone up your midwives and get them to give you an appt. and as everyone says, don't get too excited. Booking appt is just going through a long list of questions.
It sucks about your employer not being accommodating about medical Appts though.
Enjoy your pregnancy - it is exciting!

I never saw anyone till I was 12 weeks along. What's the point that early on? YABU.

I'm going to go against the grain and say that as it's their mistake, they should accommodate you. Just because it's the NHS and we should be oh so grateful, they can't make mistakes and then not be held accountable.

I'd also check if you can book in anywhere else. I went to the GP at around five weeks, got a referral and then was able to choose an appointment for booking in at the local hospital. It was all online and we went on a Saturday morning. Can you self refer to the hospital where you'd give birth? I didn't know at the time, but I could have done that and then avoided the GP altogether.

Hope you work something out. Good luck with the pregnancy.

YABU to be 'fuming' with the surgery a bit frustrating that they made a mistake but that is all.

As everyone else says it is pointless to see a GP/ midwife so early on and the surgery have no control over the timings of her appointments.
Midwives quite often see women at home for booking appointments. It might be worth checking if they do this or not.

When you have a doctors appt you can attend during working hours, you just need proof and you don't have to tell them why!!??

I only had to see my Midwife early because I had Hyperemesis which at the time was not recognized so they thought I may be having a multiple birth.

Take care and relax