Or is the NHS just completely fucking broken?

[Saltandpepperpig]

Very early in pregnancy - 7 weeks, called my MW due to spotting and sharp unbearable pain down my left side. Reffered to local MLU as she was to busy.
MLU told me I need to get to A&E asap and get an emergency scan, cannot wait till Monday as they believe it's ectopic and I need to get scanned now .
Local A&E has been closed down so have to travel 30 mins to the nearest a&e.
Wait for FOUR hours in A&E after clearly explaining what I was there for, finally seen by a dr who calls the gyne (only one in the whole a&e for a 25 odd mile radius)
Gyne can't see me until Monday. Dr says he doesn't know anything about ectopic but hopefully it's not and come back on Monday.

AIBU to think this is a complete fucking joke? 6 hours in total from contacting my MW, 3 different places, a dr that didn't have a fucking clue, no gyne, no A&E depts.

I'm probably just ranting but I was so terrified being told I cannot wait until Monday, booking childcare etc to be told I must wait with no explanation or reassurance.

The funny thing is the dr said 'if you were here 1 hour ago we could have helped' I FUCKING WAS SAT IN THE WAITING ROOM.

I'm just stressed and hormonal so probably acting completely unreasonable and stupid but I hadn't realised how bad things have got and IMO that is bad.

If there's any chance it could be ectopic they need to take you in and scan you. My sister had one and ignored the pain at first - by the time she got to hospital she was in crippling pain and bleeding heavily. She was in hospital about a week afterwards and I'm just so glad she went in when she did.

Sorry you are having such a shit experience, and I hope you get the best possible outcome

The dr did not check my abdomen at all or even look at me or take bloods. He tested my urine and blood pressure and that is it. I fully understand the wait and I'm not bothered about that as such, just bothered that I waited to be told to come on Monday. Also dp has advised the dr told him he is not as worried because my BP was not high and in ectopic it is always high, I've just googled and it says there's no correlation, does anyone know if that's correct or if the dr has literally lied to get us out?

he just said along the lines of 'well if it happens it happens and it's sad but common'

Sounds like he's confusing ectopic with miscarriage - I would go to the bigger hospital tomorrow (tonight if the pain gets worse)

Sorry for you in this situation however I agree with several other posters, an ectopic is not something to sit on until Monday. May I suggest you contact your out of hours GP service tonight and ask them to refer you to A&E with a referral letter. that certainly seems to help speed up getting to see someone at our local A&E. Failing that get back on to the Mifewifey service and see if they can arrange a scan somewhere

I feel for you. I hope you have a better weekend and that your symptoms subside. Take care

I'm shocked. An ectopic isn't just a 'sad but common' miscarriage, it's potentially very dangerous to you. Please do get to the bigger hospital tomorrow, or tonight if you feel worse.

You've had very poor treatment and actually, if ectopic is what's being queried (and I think it would have to be) then you've been misadvised by that doctor - to say they don't know much about ectopics is ridiculous and you should have been referred to an out of hours/emergency gynae service. This is a problem with the hospital you went to, not the NHS per se - if you came to our hospital with a query ectopic you wouldn't have been leaving without a scan and certainly not without advise on what to do if the pain becomes worse - this can become a medical emergency. I would certainly advise you being seen at the earliest opportunity tomorrow and if they try to suggest the same, point them in the direction of the NICE guidance on ectopics.

I'm so sorry you're going through this and I really hope that once you've been seen you will make a complaint to the hospital you were at today because it's unsafe practice. I hope you're seen tomorrow and all is well.

I don't think the dr lied. I just think he didn;t have clue what he was talking about.

Did they give you any advice on what signs to look out for which would necessity you seeking immediate, emergency treatment?

A suspected ectopic should not be left until Monday without any kind of monitoring. It is too dangerous.

I sincerely hope everything's okay, could you call around private maternity clinics or even 111???????????

Just read your last post - must have crossed. OK its been awhile since I worked on a Gynae ward, but ectopics were not common and any doctor who does not assume a pregnant woman with abdo pain has an ectopic until proven otherwise is a fool, and a dangerous one at that. God, its even a classic medical exam question - 22 yr old woman walks into A&E with abdo pain, not sure when her last period was - assume ectopic. Not sure about BP in early stages of ectopic, however if he didn't examine your abdomen, he's on dodgy ground. Always examine the bit the patient says is hurting, always. It only takes a minute or 2.

Please don't wait until Monday - ring the OOH or Midwifery team and talk to them

The blood pressure thing is incorrect, if an ectopic ruptures you bleed internally and so your blood pressure goes down. Could he have said heart rate because that would go up? But either way BP and heart rate are not used to diagnose an ectopic - I'm honestly staggered.

This situation is disgusting, A&E departments are closing down all over, there is a long list if you google it,
Our local one is on it too, goodness knows what anyone will do in an emergency, especially if you dont drive
Also a lot of secret plans by Jeremy Hunt which there is a petition for to try to find out what is happening,
I am sick to death of this Government where the NHS is concerned,
It is totally unacceptable ,all the other hospitals are far away from us, and some of them are earmarked for cuts too
I think they are trying to kill us off bit by bit

Val, whilst I agree whole heartedly about JH and the Tory party approach to the NHS - a doctor failing the examine the abdomen of a woman of child bearing age, with a proven positive pregnancy test is just plain bad medicine.

If you phone 111 and explain they might call you an ambulance and book you into an a+ e somewhere that has a functioning gyne dept? Or your out of hours gp? I had an ivf pregnancy which are more at risk of ectopic pregnancy - I seem to remember there was a peculiar symptom to do with pain in your shoulder to look out for. I hope you get proper attention, high blood pressure is a symptom of eclampsia, I wonder if the Dr was mixing up that with ectopic? Good luck.

I'm so sorry for you, OP! PLEASE PLEASE do not leave this till Monday. If you go again tomorrow, take your child(ren) with you if necessary. Sorry if this sounds like scaremongering, but better a few hours stuck at A&E than you having to be hospitalised (or worse, God forbid!) and them not seeing you for ages.

TBH I'd try and go again tonight. Just tell them the pain is worse (even if it isn't) and 111 sent you.
Is there anyone who could look after the kid(s)? Do you have a partner? Parents, friends nearby? A neighbour who could sleep in your house tonight? Babysitting a sleeping kid isn't a massive favour.

Thanks all. Speaking of shoulder pain I mentioned this to the dr as I was in excruciating pain last night with my shoulder almost like trapped wind ish, dr ignored this. I've called 111 and the lady was so sympathetic and said a dr will call me back within an hour. Hoping I can get seen tomorrow, praying it's not but I need to no either way now before Monday. I know they may think I'm being a drama queen but am terrified and in a lot of pain now. Thank you all, it's great having some support even if it is virtual!

Just want to echo what everyone else has said. When I had a suspected ectopic after passing out at 7 weeks I was sent straight for a scan by my GP. Luckily everything was fine. You have received shocking advice

Well done for calling back. You really need to be very clear about the abdo pain, the bleeding and the shoulder pain. Actually ask "are you ruling out an ectopic pregnancy over the phone?". Be pushy.

Salt - I'm relieved you've made contact with 111 - hope they ring soon and you can talk to someone with better diagnostic skills

Great, they might want you to go in tonight. Please, please, please complain to the original hospital - from what you've said and how you've described your symptoms (shoulder tip pain in these circumstances should be followed up quickly), your care has been utterly negligent and I'm so pleased that you've not just accepted what they've said.

As to the state of the NHS, yes it's being murdered. 66 A&Es closed since the Tories got in. A further 33 could be closed by 2021 www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/06/one-in-six-ae-departments-at-risk-of-closure-or-downgrade
I'm from a "backward" part of Eastern Europe where healthcare is frankly well above and beyond NHS provision. I've resorted to having all non-emergency health stuff done in the 2-3 weeks a year we're over there, visiting family. From dental health to tests to scans to buying medicines for my allergic/asthmatic DS and DH. I know around 50 families with connections to the former USSR who all do the same.
Talk about health tourism.

I once met a lady from Algeria whose UK-born son contracted bone TB (having never been outside the UK). He was running a fever and limping badly for SIX MONTHS as she kept knocking on doors. She finally took him to Algeria, paid £££ for a private MRI scan and they said his leg needs operating on THAT WEEKEND otherwise he'd lose it. Luckily it all ended well but she was traumatised and didn't want to have more kids because she didn't think she could cope if more than one child needed treatment at the same time.

A friend of mine had a similar experience, albeit not as extreme. Her 3-y.o. DS kept running a fever, GP kept giving him penicillin, he'd come out in a rash, they'd just give him more penicillin. Weeks later, kid still running a fever, she saw blood in his urine. Referred to urologist after she had to BEG for a urine test which confirmed blood. 3 months' wait for appt. By the time the kid was finally seen he'd developed pyelonephritis. My mum's a doctor (overseas), if that had happened on her watch she'd be sacked.

My home country's healthcare has been slowly murdered by privatisation since the 90's so I can say from personal experience that the NHS MUST remain public and well-financed. Even though private healthcare is much more affordable over there than in the UK, quality is going downhill massively (in both private and state sector). While those trained in Soviet times are still working, they remember what the standards used to be and they keep the whole thing alive. When they are gone, God help us all.

I really do hope people will rise up for the NHS before it's too late.

apologies for the rant

Crikey turquoise

OP, you need to see a doc. Shoulder pain and ectopic isn't good.

Wow that is quite shocking turquoise.

Dr just called me back and was disgusted, apologied profusely on behalf of the dr I called and is calling the gyne dept now and calling me back.

So glad I listened to you all

I'm glad you called back and hope you get seen soon by somebody who knows what they are doing!

When this is all over please put a complaint in about that idiot of a doctor. It really is basic stuff, positive pregnancy test with abdo pain = ectopic until proven otherwise. I can't believe he didn't even do an abdominal examination and sent you home even after you complained of shoulder pain, one of our 3rd year med students could have done a better job!