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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you to carry your pregnancy notes with you?

154 replies

NC4T · 07/08/2018 15:36

I am a triage midwife. One of the biggest frustrations of the job is women turning up without their notes. I have some very basic information on the computer but I have no scan reports, no record of any of your antenatal appointments or admissions or consultant plans or anything!

Obviously when women know they are coming in they bring their notes, so I am talking about the unexpected admissions - the falls, RTAs, bleeding at work, fainting, unexpected waters breaking etc etc. Which is exactly when we most need the information! It’s also a huge problem as we are close to lots of centres of employment so every day have women being admitted who are not booked here, but haven’t taken their notes into work and we are the closest hospital for their emergency. Then we have not even the most basic information.

Just now I have taken a routine phone call and have referred her to a page in her notes, to be told “oh no, I haven’t got them, I am at work in x city”. Well why haven’t you?

So please, I know they are bulky, I know it’s a faff but carry your notes with you wherever you go. You just don’t know when you might need to go to the nearest maternity unit!

OP posts:
RomanyRoots · 07/08/2018 15:39

You'd think it was common sense.
took mine everywhere, it's not even a faff if you use a tote.
I hope those lacking in sense will read your thread.

RoboticSealpup · 07/08/2018 15:42

I think a lot of people don't realise how archaic the NHS medical records system is. They probably think you have their data on file.

Imfinehowareyou · 07/08/2018 15:43

It never occurred to me to carry them around and I don't consider myself as lacking in sense. However, OP your post explains it well. I wonder why they don't emphasise this at the midwife appointments?

MrMagnoliasBoot · 07/08/2018 15:44

It seems like really obvious and sensible advice. I will be honest and say I didn't, it didn't even accured to me at the time Blush If my midwife had told me I should I definitely would have, however it was never suggested.

MeltingPregnantLady · 07/08/2018 15:46

Mine live in my handbag. They're in a small a5 folder the hospital provides however mine are extremely bulky due to how many appointments and scans I've had and I can easily see some women who don't have a big handbag will choose not to carry them around given half a chance.

Icklepickle101 · 07/08/2018 15:46

I was guilty of this a few weeks ago. I had put them in my car so they were always to hand, until DP took my car to work 200 miles away and my waters broke at 32 weeks. It was a massive PITA having to get him to send photos of scans, notes etc

It does seem very old fashioned to have paper notes with no electronic copy!

PurpleFlower1983 · 07/08/2018 15:47

I’m pregnant with my first and I was thinking about this yesterday! I thought it might make sense to keep them in the car just in case.

TurquoiseWeekend · 07/08/2018 15:48

I'll make sure I always do that now. I was one of the clueless ones that thought they'd all be on the computer when someone typed my name in.

Stephisaur · 07/08/2018 15:49

I take them with me if I'm going to be more than 20 minutes from home (where they currently are).

I do keep meaning to put them in my car, so will take this as a reminder to do so tonight :)

Pengggwn · 07/08/2018 15:50

I took mine everywhere from 36 weeks (as well as holiday) but not otherwise. I'd rather ask my partner to dash home and get them than lose them, which would be frowned on, I'd imagine!

Sashkin · 07/08/2018 15:51

Sorry, man ne was a high risk pregnancy and ran to two volumes. Most of which was normal BP and urine dip results. I had photos of all the scans on my phone, no way was I carrying the full set of notes every time I popped out to the shops.

Nightmanagerfan · 07/08/2018 15:51

When should I start carrying them around?

Pengggwn · 07/08/2018 15:52

Plus, it is a huge amount of sensitive information. I wouldn't want to take it into work (teacher), nor leave it in my car in case it was stolen.

RowenaDedalus · 07/08/2018 15:53

I don’t have any notes. Everything about me is electronic. Which made me anxious going on holiday elsewhere in the country as if notes are as important as you are saying they are, why don’t I have any in case of emergency?

hammeringinmyhead · 07/08/2018 15:53

Agreed. Mine are in my car on the front seat at all times.

YouCantStopTheSignal · 07/08/2018 15:55

I didn't carry mine around with me but I photographed them with my mobile, it's easy to set up an album in the Photos app on most mobiles. I took the notes themselves to appointments and then updated my photo album after each one, seeing as I would always have my mobile with me it was easier to carry them that way.

Merryoldgoat · 07/08/2018 15:55

Yes. I had them with me all the time from day 1 (well, when I got them). I had two high risk pregnancies, endless visits to DAU and lots of onward referrals from doctor to hospital.

My midwife at booking said to carry them all the time so I did.

sundaysunday · 07/08/2018 15:55

Assume you have also raised this issue with your managers with a view to rolling out electronic records? Our local midwives now use systmone for all maternity documentation and my actual notes contain very little info-mainly a space for me to record my appointments. It's all held electronically. I was wondering if this would be able to be accessed if I were admitted to another hospital? At the moment there is nothing useful in my notes to carry round and no-one wants to see it at appointments.

Ennirem · 07/08/2018 15:55

YANBU but the government is, failing to invest money in the health service so they can afford a proper, secure and functioning digital notes system. Bloody mad that so much important info exists in one copy, in someone's bloody handbag, and in ten or so midwives' totally illegible handwriting!

thecatsthecats · 07/08/2018 15:58

I don't think it's particularly clear cut, especially as different parts of the NHS function so differently.

When I was at university, my home GP could only see their own records, but the university one could see everything. I moved to a town with great information sharing and after an emergency clinic visit in the night the GP had all the notes up to date the morning after. In Birmingham, I seem to have gone back a step.

It seems 'good sense' that records would be available without being physically carted around in this day and age.

Not a criticism of you btw OP!

SeaLionsOnMyShirt · 07/08/2018 16:02

I wasn't ever given my notes, my consultant kept them at the hospital. I always wondered what would happen if there was an emergency and I had to go to a different hospital unexpectedly, I just presumed my consultant would email them over, I didn't realise how little is actually on your general medical records. Good idea about taking photos of them though (if I'd ever seen them in the first place!!)

scaevola · 07/08/2018 16:02

You could scan/photograph key pages and keep on your phone (and ICE's phone)

CatsBreathSmellsLikeCatfood · 07/08/2018 16:03

I always used to do this and when I told my midwife that I did she laughed at me and told me that was OTT and unnnecessary!!!

sexnotgender · 07/08/2018 16:04

I’ve not been given notes... I’m 16+3

Are we meant to get them? I’m in Scotland if that makes a difference?

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 07/08/2018 16:05

i didn't carry them around as I lose things too often (ADHD) and I was scared of losing them.

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