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AIBU?

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Original poster

To make a complaint against midwife who turned me away

252 replies

Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 14:26

So yesterday, I was feeling a bit worried as baby had gone a little quiet, his movements had reduced (not stopped), I've been staying with a friend in her area which is outside of where I normally receive my usual pregnancy care.

I tried to ring the hospital to get advice but after so many calls I had to go in.

Saw a healthcare assistant who asked if I had an app and my name, told her my name & said no, then very rudely replied with "well I'm still going to need your name aren't I!"

So I firmly replied with "I just told you my name was .....".

She went off to speak with the midwife right outside the door, midwife was asking a lot for of questions & finally came in to see me.

She then told me that I had to go back to the hospital who normally deals with me as they don't have a computer system & know nothing of me, I informed her I brought my notes which would tell her everything they needed to know.

She told me it didn't matter Hmm

She then "advised me to go to my hospital of care"

I asked "are you telling me you won't check to make sure the baby was okay?

She then repeated "I advise you to go to the hospital who usually deals with you".

I then very firmly asked again, "so you are turning me away & wont monitor me?"

Her reply?

"Yes, we are a bit busy too".

She turned me away, told me to go to the hospital I usually deal with even though I explained I was completely out of area, she then lied & said my notes made no difference, which is shite. Then told me I had to leave even though I was concerned about my sons movements.

I'm 36+2 btw.

OP posts:
Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 21:04

I'm being induced on Saturday next week not yesterday not today and not tomorrow.

It doesn't stop me from going to see a friend, I know when im going in, it's not like I went 300 miles at 40 weeks pregnant and ended up giving birth in a hospital there.

I don't think it's relevant whether I went 5 miles or 5000 miles, I have a date when il be induced, I'm still 4.5 weeks from due date

They didn't answer because they were probably busy from
Other women calling about reduced movements or issues and being told to go in! Just because I'm from out of area, my baby is just as important.

Busy or not, she shouldn't have turned me away end of!

OP posts:
Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 21:07

For the ones asking why I went 300 miles from home with OC & so close to my induction.

What if my thread was

"To make a complaint about midwife who turned me away during labour".

Yes you'd still have the odd wanker moaning about travelling so far from home but you'd all have been absolutely disgusted that the midwife told her to go back to her local hospital!! & refused to see her.

OP posts:
Splodgeinc · 19/03/2017 21:07

I have worked on Labour ward and MAU. We preferd phone calls but would see anyone over 20 weeks pregnant wherever they were from. That's the reason pregnant women have to carry their damm notes about with them so they can seek help at any hospital (btw out of area people with no notes are an even bigger pain but we manage) Next time go to A and E who will moan and then refer you MAU hopefully with a telling off for MAU. No way should your u get on a train or travel, delivering a baby on public transport isn't fun for anyone. After baby is here safe and well please complain to PALS at the hospital that turned you away.

Maudlinmaud · 19/03/2017 21:12

So op have you been seen now? You have ignored this question. Are you no longer in need of being monitored as baby has woken up? This shouting and ranting isn't really helping is it?

123bananas · 19/03/2017 21:20

Of course she should have seen you. That is why you carry your notes with you so that in an emergency any maternity unit can provide care. Definitely complain.

I was very high risk in last pregnancy and under the care of a specialist maternity hospital. My nearest maternity unit with level 3 NICU was down the road. I was told if things were looking bad in an emergency to get the ambulance to take me to the nearest hospital not the one dealing with my care.

I hope you and baby have since been checked over elsewhere and are ok?

Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 21:22

No, I've been counting movements all day.

I'm seeing my midwife tomorrow, I have mentioned all of this.

Maybe this "ranting" doesn't help no but it doesn't help with people saying "you shouldn't have travelled 300 miles, you should have called, you should have". None help.

OP posts:
lucyandpoppy123 · 19/03/2017 21:28

Sorry about the OC OP I had it in my pregnancy and it was awful! Totally understand why you'd want to go in and be monitored, the last week of my OC pregnancy I was a nervous wreck and was at the hospital on the monitoring machine almost every day!
I would probably have gone through A&E if I was out of area though, and then the A&E staff would have requested the monitoring, to avoid the situation you experienced. Or ring 111 and ask what they advise if they said to go to nearest maternity unit could have used that to persuade midwife. Could have also asked to speak to the midwife in charge and seen if that was the final answer or if that midwife was being difficult.

C8H10N4O2 · 19/03/2017 21:31

Possibly those saying you shouldn't have traveled need to read the post where you describe discussion the situation and potential travel with your doctors just a few days ago (or in dead just RTFT)

However for now, some trashy tv, a cup of whatever helps and an early night may make you feel better. Flowers

pilates · 19/03/2017 21:50

TBT, hope all goes well tomorrow x

mummypeepee · 19/03/2017 21:58

Personally wouldn't gone to A and E if not my hospital of care and let them organise from there. I think yabu to turn up at a clinic and expect to be seen.

Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 22:05

You obviously haven't read the post then??

I'm not wasting my time going to a&e which was 30 minutes in the opposite direction to be told to go back to the MAU another 30 minutes wasted.

I have never been told to go to a&e for a pregnancy related issue, MY MIDWIFE SAID TO GO TO A MAU!!

So apologies but your advice is wrong & irrelevant

OP posts:
Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 22:06

FYI wasn't a clinic was an assessment unit

OP posts:
thatdearoctopus · 19/03/2017 22:09

It doesn't stop me from going to see a friend, I know when im going in, it's not like I went 300 miles at 40 weeks pregnant and ended up giving birth in a hospital there.

But actually, it could have been. If a problem had been detected, then you might well have ended up giving birth there.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 19/03/2017 22:16

Toobloodytired before this becomes another 'cancel the cheque' thread where lots of people wouldn't have read your thread but proceeded to scold you instead.
I can see you're getting frustrated and rightly so, but as you so rightly said yourself a few pages back, your child is your priority. Trying to explain your actions to the dissenting ones who clearly haven't read the posts from the doc and the midwives on here saying you did the right thing isn't. May I suggest for the sake of yourself/your baby/your blood pressure too that if they continue to pile on that you hide the thread and go make yourself a cuppa instead?

Hope all goes well with the MW tomorrow. Flowers

Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 22:34

If a problem had been detected & I gave birth there then so be it.

I could give birth any hospital in the world, it doesn't matter to me.

I've no children that need looking after until I get back. It no pets to arrange to be fed. So going 4000 miles this close to term doesn't actually matter.

OP posts:
Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 22:39

Awaywiththe, I agree with you.

I'm now back home & at my usual hospital....waiting to be put on the monitor.

I'm done explaining the thread to people who've clearly come on having only read the first post.

I don't think I'm in the wrong at all, I am annoyed at the midwife, I will be making a complaint & yes I do expect to be assessed at any MAU even if I have to wait!

Luckily my blood pressure is stable and has been throughout my pregnancy! It would take a lot for it to rise.

I will simply assume its women who HAVENT had children are the ones saying I should have gone to a&e or not gone to the MAU, simply because they don't understand.

I didn't before I became pregnant.

OP posts:
lucyandpoppy123 · 19/03/2017 22:55

I think you' need to step away from the thread OP and have a herbal tea.

You feel you have been wronged and are perfectly entitled to put in a complaint if you feel it will help.

I think its patronising to say that its women who haven't had children that would say to go to A&E. I had an OC pregnancy and if I was out of town thats where I would go. You said you wouldn't want to go 30 mins in the opposite direction to A&E only to be told to backtrack on yourself and go to the maternity unit but presumably a hospital with A&E facilities would also have a maternity unit and monitoring facilities on site?

Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 23:00

People are yapping about going to see a&e, it's silly advice.

Patronising?? No, what is patronising is telling me I can't go to an assessment unit to have my baby checked.

I won't step away, I will continue to explain to people how a&e is pointless, I should only be attending MAU's!

I would never have gone anywhere else simply because I actually ask advice from obstetricians & midwives.

I went where I should have gone, I was messing around trying to get to other places.

OP posts:
bananaqueen · 19/03/2017 23:02

Op I'm sorry you've had such a crap weekend, please update to let us all know everything is ok with baby Flowers

You DID do the right thing, at 37 weeks I was 200 miles from home, I had reduced movement and went to local mau. They saw me, scanned me, and asked if I could come back in 48 hours for another scan as fluid was low, I decided to extend my trip just so I could be seen by the same hospital. I went back 48 hours later, scanned again and put on a monitor and was then induced on the same day. All I had to do was help the midwifes find certain parts of my notes they couldn't as it was a completely different folder to that they're used to seeing. Baby was born 200 miles from home.

I really hope you're ok.

lucyandpoppy123 · 19/03/2017 23:08

So the hospital with an A&E...did it not have a MAU?

To me, its the equivalent of me (I have crohns) having a severe flare up and then just going straight to the gastro unit of the hospital and asking them to assess me. Thats not how it works, you're meant to go through a GP or A&E doctor first. Will they send me to the gastro unit anyway? Yes, probably. But You are meant to be seen and assessed by a doctor first.

For reference, I went onto the hospital where I gave births website to see the criteria for coming into the MAU and it says 'Antenatal women over 15 weeks pregnant can be referred to MAU for investigation and/or monitoring of acute problems relating to their pregnancy by GP, community midwife, or RBH antenatal clinic doctor referral.'. It doesn't say just turn up, it says you would need to be referred by a doctor, presumably in an emergency a A&E dr.

flyingspaghettimonster · 19/03/2017 23:09

You should have gone to A and E, or an urgent care place not just show up at any maternity center. An A an E is perfectly capable of sticking a heart Doppler on you or ordering an ultra sound and could also have sent you to the maternity unit if they felt it was needed. I had high blood pressure one day when shopping and pregnant and the AE monitored me for a few hours no bother. So I think YABU about a midwife who was not your is wife and was clearly very busy.

TimeToMoveOnUp · 19/03/2017 23:20

lucy shock horror but we have a local hospital with an A&E with no maternity or paeds, if you presented at A&E you would be taken by ambulance or told to drive 45 mins away to the next hospital with A&E and maternity. And if you phoned any hospital with a maternity unit or A&E you would be told to go straight to maternity assessment not seen in A&E. completely different to turning up to the gastro Ward!

OP hope everything is ok with the monitoring, you have made complete sense and good luck.

lolalament · 19/03/2017 23:22

You're not meant to go through A+E if you're more than 20 weeks pregnant. Going straight to MAU is appropriate

LolaTheDarkdestroyer · 19/03/2017 23:22

It quite sure why my comment was taken like that? You weren't at home you were staying with a friend, if you were so concerned yes you should have got to your hospital, everyone knows how stretched hospitals are at the moment. I didn't say the midwife was right or wrong just that you should have got home ASAP.

Original poster
Toobloodytired · 19/03/2017 23:24

Lucy, chrohns is NOT a baby.

Apologies if you didn't know that Hmm

*MY MIDWIFE TOLD ME TO ALWAYS GO TO MAU's
*
Are you a midwife?? Do you know something she doesn't??

Why would you continue to argue something that a medical professional has already advised?? It's like telling me the sky isn't blue!!

Whilst being monitored last week, a woman had an accident whilst pregnant, she went to a&e as it wasn't pregnancy related.....where did they admit her?? AT THE MAU, because she's pregnant, all pregnant women are referred straight to MAU.

How do I know that?? Because it says on the front of my notes, IF PATIENT ATTENDS A&E, PLEASE REFER TO MAU

OP posts:
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