Local Hospital only do 12 wk scans - NO anomaly scans!! What are my rights?

[GladTidings]

Hi all

I had my MW appointment on Monday and I was told that the hospital don't do anomaly scans! They do a dating scan around 12 wks and thats it.

I am really concerned about this.

Heres the details. With ds I started off at hospital A which do a 20wk anomaly scan. At 28wks we moved 15miles and had to book in with hospital B (which is only a mile from our house).

This time all my antenatal care is at hospital B, but they have closed their Labour dept so I will go to hospital A to deliver.

I have spoken to hospital A and they have told me that as I am booked with a consultant at hospital B I will NOT be given a 20 wk scan and will have to go to a private unit to have one..... £140!

I am so shocked as I have to go to Hospital A to deliver anyway!!!!

What are my rights? Can I ask to be moved to a consultant at hospital A so I can have the 20 wk scan??? I cannot believe they don't check for any heart, bowel, kidney problems etc. Is this relatively unusual?

I will pay for a private one if I have to, but think why the F**k should I when I only moved 15 miles away!
There is a big divide in the care between Hospital A & B even though B is closing and will be merging with A. I can't beleive the antenatal care is so different. I pay the bloody NI no matter where I live. It's really getting me down.
Any advice on what I can do?

I'm only 9wks just now so I have time to try to do something about it.

TIA

p.s. Actually in the end, I was so frustrated with the process, that I did just what JulieF suggested, rang the head midwife on the natural birthing floor and got her to do my one-to-one care, and she even delivered my dd herself.

In our area they only offer the 20 w scan but we managed to get a referral for 12w scan (nuchal translu?ence), they referrred us to a hospital 25 miles away and we needed to pay for the scan.
I need to say that I fnd it rather curious that we were not allowed to have another scan at all (not even paying, not even in private hospital). All this came rather as a shock for me, in my country you expect to have one everymonth ( a bit unnecessary perhaps, but at eat you have the choice)

I meant "at lEAST you have a choice..." I must be getting hungry... midnight snack required... God... no wonder I'm getting so fat...

Thanks folks. Tried everything! Spoke to the MW at Falkirk and Stirling... and spoke to a consultant and my GP surgery and just ended up getting upset. I'm booking a private one. The hospital did tell me to write and complain as they hate refusing people them too.
They could've referred me to the hospital I'm giving birth then!! They said my postcode was the factor.... I said I would tell them my DH and had split up and I was living back with my Mum.... but I weant a homebirth.... SO ANGRY that I had to give in.

Sorry you couldn't manage to swing to M2T. If any comfort they don't provide 20 week scans in Edinburgh either, I was very surprised to be getting one with number 2 (in the hospital where you will deliver - sorry!.

Try not to worry too much - there is evidence for and against the use of them anyway. But I know it sucks to not get the choice.

Take care

I'm stunned by this.I'm not a huge fan of scans without couselling in advance tbh, but do think that anomoly scans should be offered. For the same reasons as M2T.Babies can be born with problems such as kidney reflux which can be picked up on a scan and then corrected at birth- no further problems. Think it is shocking that you are not offered anomoly scans.

When I lived in London I had early scans for ds2 as I had had a m/c before him (early one- the scan was just for reassurance - I had 2 2 weeks apart- didn't ask for them and was offered another that I declined). I also had nuchal fold- sent to King's for that- and then anomoly scans at 20 weeks and scans later on to check size.

For me scans aren't really about termination decisions - unelss it picked up anencephaly or something, but all about having more knowledge, and being aware of potential problems before birth.

I would complain M2T- get in touch wiith your local councillors and MP. I have finally got mine involved with the crap that is speech therapy down here. They are ebing very good.

Even better if you know other mum's who are affected and can get a bit of a riot going

I agree with JimJams: the one-off design of my DS's leg / foot was picked up at 20 weeks, and that enabled me to do lots of research, and feel calm about the whole thing before he was born. I was already hooked into the specialist message boards and support groups. Much better than discovering it during those first few moments of togetherness. And it meant that the professionals were all lined up and ready: the orthopeadic consultant and physios were there on the first day, having been primed to expect it.
Hope you can get some answers.

M2T, i am very surprised at your situation because i live quite near you (Dunfermline) and i had a 12wk,19wk,24wk and 28wk scan at the Queen Margaret and have just had a 34wk scan at Forth Park. I am a high risk pregnancy hence the 24wk and 34wk but the other three are routine through here. My GP was quite prepared to refer me to ST Johns in Livingston if i wanted to go there. I don't understand why we are not all treated the same, every pregnancy is important and treatment should'nt be denied or granted by post code. Good luck to all dealing with this problem.

M2T - have had an interesting conversation with a colleague of mine who suggests you write to Stirling MSP Sylvia Jackson about this issue. Apparently she is on the case. All health board areas should be offering the same standard of care as the national guidelines.

Excellent! Thanks Mears. I have drafted a letter to Eric Joyce the Falkirk MP, but I hadn't thought of the Stirling one too. Thanks. I'll let you know how I get on.

For anyone who's interested here's an update:

Eric Joyce MP replied with a very nice and personal letter saying he had relayed my concerns to the Head of Forth Valley Health Board and would be in touch regarding his response.

However, my friend emailed me yesterday. She is due 9 days after me and she has been told that she will be entitled to a 20 wk anomaly scan due to a new policy at Falkirk RI from the 1st April 2004! Noone had contacted me about this so I phone the antenatal booking clinic.

The woman was very cagey and wouldn't tell me if I would be entitled to one or not, as I will be 21+5 by April 1st!!!! Can you BELIEVE this?? Someone due 9 days after me is being told she can have one free, but it looks like I might still have to pay!

This is really upsetting me and getting me down just when I don't need it.

I am waiting for the hospital to contact me to confirm Yes or No, then I'll let you know.

I've just read through this thread as my sister is pregnant. She lives in Somerset and has been told that she will be given a 12-week scan but no anomaly scan at 20 weeks. Surely those guidelines mentioned earlier in the thread apply to all of England and Wales? It's her first pregnancy so she's understandably nervous, especially as her dp's family has a history of hydrocephalus.

Coppertop - The guidelines mentioned earlier were specifically for Scotland, but perhaps there is another guideline for England & Wales saying the same thing?

The blatant example of post code healthcare is disgusting and I hope your sister can fight for it. She should write to her MP for starters then perhaps look into private scans in case all other avenues with the NHS reach deadends. It won't change the fact that there seems to be postcode favouritism, but it will at least mean she will be able to have the reassurance of the anomaly scan. I have been told that the private scans are more thorough anyway and last 45mins to an hour so you get a good look at baby too. The average price is £200, but I managed to find a specialist Ultrasound clinic that charges £140.

How far on is your sister?

I'm not sure of the exact number of weeks but I think she's about 9 or 10 weeks. The 12-week scan is due later this month.

I'm not sure she would have the money for a private scan. She and dp had just taken on a new mortgage when she discovered she was pregnant (it was unplanned) so they're saving as much as they can while she is still able to work.

I know what it's like Coppertop and it does sound like a lot of money, but they do them at 21wks so they have about 3mths to save for it. I think mine will end up going on a rather tired Credit Card. I weighed up the pros and cons and I was getting so upset about the thought of not having one that I went ahead and booked it. With the history in Hydrocephalus in the family she will perhaps be given one anyway?

Have one of my scans M2T - they're driving me nuts. Every two sodding weeks at the moment ... with a toddler around. Yesterday I was in the hospital for over three hours!!

And I was told there was a shortage of sonographers and wouldn't get a 20week scan too! Coz they're too busy foisting extra scans on those who don't need/want it...

Why are you being scanned every fortnight Georgina? That does sound excessive, but they must have a reason for it.

Here is the link for the England and wales NICE guidelines. You can chose different formats to view - one is for women. The anomaly scan at 20 weeks is in the recommendadtion
here

Very borderline obstetric chelostasis (sp?) - but from what I've read, it only really becomes an issue closer to 36-38 weeks. I'm only at 29 weeks at the moment, so I'm sure I would miss one of 'em

Personally, I think they're going overkill...

Rigth folks! A VICTORY FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE!

On Friday, I received a letter from Major Eric Joyce MP.... it stated that he had spoken to the Had of Horth Valley Health Board and that all women booking in after the 1st of April would receive 2 scans.... he then added that he had taken the liberty of asking if I would receive one despite the fact I booked in back in January.... and the answer was YES!

Still feeling sceptical I phoned the hospital(s) to confirm that an appointment was sent out. After being passed from person to person I finally got someone in the know to speak to who said they would call me back tonight.

However... lo and behold my appointment card dropped onto the doormat this morning!! SO my 20wk anomaly scan will be on Wednesday 24th March at 11am.

My letter probably didn't make a blind bit of difference, but that doesn't stop me feeling quietly triumphant.

Well done M2T!!!!! Brilliant!!!!!

Brilliant news, I reckon you do yourself down, of course your letter made a difference. Well done Does that mean that the money you were going to spend on a private scan can now be put to better use (ie shoes)?

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I'm so pleased for you, well done

lol OO - It's going toward more Driving lessons for DH.... hopefully we'll be mobile by the end of June.

Well done, hope you feel proud.xx