Can you phone your midwife on her mobile?

[vanillacremebrulee]

Just curious really. I've been given the number by the surgery staff when I told them I was pregnant but I suspect that I wasn't supposed to having it.
I've tried ringing her (38 +1) with a non urgent question and left a message but no reply. The voicemail said to phone other numbers for emergencies and non emergencies. Also whenever I see her, she never answers her phone but it does ring a lot. I'm puzzled
Why have a mobile if your patients are not allowed to call you? Also, who to go to if you don't want to ring the hospital whenever you have a problem?

In my old area we had mobile numbers for the midwife in duty they passed them around to whoever was on. They never answered when they were in an appointment with me. Why would they? They are dealing with someone at the time and know the message on the answer phone tells them who to contact in an emergency. I have once or twice had to wait for someone to get back to me but as it was non urgent I was happy to wait until they weren't busy. Had it been an emergency or very important I knew who to call.

Actually the area I live in now was far better because you just called the community midwife office at the local maternity hospital and although you were unlikely to get your own midwife you generally got someone and they could contact your own community midwife if need be or advise you themselves. Was far less hanging about.

I have my MWs number, and have called/spoken to her on it. She has said though, if shes in appointments/at a home birth, she'd never answer, and not to wait for her to return a call if it was urgent.

Inwork in the community for the nhs (not a mw btw) and have a mobile (mainly to meet ppe stuff) I'd never answer it during an appointment with a patient. It's just plain rude. My vmail directs me to other people in an emergency and patients know theyll get a call off someone at the end of the day if they do leave a message. That's if they speak coherently and leave a number. Which they quite often don't! But if your leaving a message and they dint get back to you at any point that kinda takes the Mick!

Yes I can. She answers if she can. If it's not urgent, I text her and she'll reply/call when she's able. But she has said if it's urgent to call another no.

Yes, my midwife takes calls but tbh I'm far more likely to text her as I know if she's with someone/at a birth/on her day off she won't answer. I wouldn;t like it if she spent her time with me on the phone to other people so I understand why she wouldn;t necessarily answer straight away.

It's almost certain not her personal mobile. It's a team mobile and whoever is on duty has it and answers if free

I've had no reply as yet (message left in the morning). I just don't see the point of having a mobile with voicemail if you're not going to return people's calls. I understand she can't answer while she's with a patient but I feel there's no-one to talk to unless it's an emergency, which is not very helpful at the moment.