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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

If you had an NHS physio referral for PGP/SPD...

20 replies

mycatlikestwiglets · 05/09/2013 10:14

how long did you have to wait between your GP/midwife doing the referral and hearing about an appointment? Saw my GP last week who said he'd do me a referral, but no news as yet. Am nearly 33 weeks and struggling to walk at times so although I hadn't expected anything to come through this soon, I'm getting a bit impatient and worried that the baby will be here before I get an appointment!

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Doddy121 · 05/09/2013 10:20

ilikebaking · 05/09/2013 10:30

Try calling the physio dept direct?
My midwife finally referred me, but as it is a teeny hospital I took the form to the physio dept and they booked me in for 2 weeks time, that was 10 days ago.
I had to be really pushy to get a referral, so good luck!

Weegiemum · 05/09/2013 10:32

My referral with dd1 was within 10 days.

In subsequent (2) pregnancies I was allowed to self-refer, again, all appointments were in the 1-2 week window.

Excited2meetmyprincess · 05/09/2013 10:43

I saw mine within 5 days but I have had to wait for 4 weeks for second appointment. X

CrispyFB · 05/09/2013 10:43

"Hilariously" mine came through after I'd delivered.. I think I asked around 33 weeks like you and DD1 came at 36+6.. the appointment was for some time at 37 weeks or so.

Chilli81 · 05/09/2013 13:04

go direct to your midwife and explain the urgency. You need help now not in a few weeks time. I got an appointment the following day but I guess that was luck.

treaclesoda · 05/09/2013 13:10

I'm still waiting for my physio appointment to come through, and I was referred over two years ago, and my baby is 22 months old. Funnily enough, I'll not be needing it when it finally comes through.

Having said that, in my first pregnancy I had the same problem and was seen, and helped within a fortnight, so presumably there were cutbacks in the interrim.

In fact, my GP no longer even refers patients for physio as in our area the service is more or less non existent. If you need physio, you really have no choice but to go private, which obviously not everyone can afford to do.

philosophicmum · 05/09/2013 13:14

I called my midwife and told her about the pain I was in, she called the physio department the same day to refer me, the next day the physio department called me and made an appointment for the following week. The physio was brilliant and made a huge difference. I think you should contact your midwife as well as your GP and keep making noise until they take you seriously.

absentmindeddooooodles · 05/09/2013 13:16

Mine was within a few days. But was pretty severe and ended up with crutches/wheelchair so it was fast tracked. Usually takes around 10 days to 2 weeks I think. Hope you are ok. Spd is bloody nasty. :(

HumphreyCobbler · 05/09/2013 13:19

I phoned yesterday and got an appointment for next tuesday. I had already been seen within five days after a midwife referral.

I am really bad this time though and struggling to walk. DH works from home otherwise I would not be able to manage.

RNJ3007 · 05/09/2013 13:22

I had to wait a week or so. Then the physio made me worse.

Went to a osteopath and made it to the end of pregnancy in more or less one piece...

muppetthecow · 05/09/2013 13:23

With both of my pregnancies I was seen within a week/ten days. With my first it was just for a generic pelvic/back pain seminar thing, but once you'd been to that you could contact them directly for further treatment. I rang the following day and was seen a couple of days after that. With DS2, as I'd had SPD before, they booked me straight in for an individual assessment. I was on crutches by 20 weeks with both of mine though so may have been pushed up for severity?
I'd give the midwife a ring. Or try to contact the physio dept directly to see if they've received the referral; it's easy enough for paperwork to get backed up.

Hope you get sorted soon - SPD is horrid

IBelieveInPink · 05/09/2013 14:17

I first told my midwife about my pain at my 16 week appointment. At that one, and my 24 week appointment, I got the 'see how it goes' line. 28 week appointment, new midwife- referred immediately. She did say I may have a 6 week wait though!!
My friend is a physio, although doesn't want to treat me herself as she doesn't specialise in 'womens health' she did send me the information guidelines. Every page it says 'immediate action should be taken!'
Lesson here - push for an appointment. If I haven't heard anything by next week, I will be chasing. Hope you get seen very soon

Original poster

mycatlikestwiglets · 05/09/2013 14:27

Thanks everyone - will give it until tomorrow then try calling the physio dept directly to see if the referral has gone through. Might get a quote for private treatment in the meantime - how typical that DH changed job a couple of months ago, losing our family health insurance, and I can't get added to my work's insurance until I go on maternity leave!

OP posts:

jollytummywobbles · 05/09/2013 14:37

13 weeks for me!

snickersnacker · 05/09/2013 14:43

My GP hadn't heard of SPD / PGP and referred me for a completely unnecessary ultrasound - the scanning dept picked up on this and sent my referral to physio. I then got a letter through within a week for a group physio advice session, where we were given a number to call to make an appointment if the self-help advice didn't help. So in total from first appointment with GP to physio, about 5 weeks.

If you can possibly afford it, go private. The physio team here were clearly overwhelmed with the number of referrals and unable to cope with them all.

Wickedgirl · 05/09/2013 17:39

Mine took 8 weeks and a lot of chasing it up.

Callofthewild · 05/09/2013 19:49

I asked my GP three times in six weeks to refer me and got absolutely nowhere despite being hardly able to walk / move. In desperatation I eventually went and saw the midwife attached to the GP surgery (my pregnancy is consultant led so I don't have any contact with the community midwives) and she did me an urgent referral to the womens health physio and I was seen just over a week later. Keep pushing as it really frustrates me that for 7 weeks I could hardly move and that this was due to the GP dragging his heels.

WheresItTo · 05/09/2013 19:51

During my first pregnancy I wasn't referred at all, and during my second I was referred at 24 weeks and seen...... at 38+2 weeks. The day before I was due to be induced, so no use at all other than for her to tell me that they should have seen me much earlier! Keep on at your midwife or ring the department and make sure you get seen. PGP/SPD is awful and makes for a miserable pregnancy. I hope you get some help soon.

Wombat79 · 05/09/2013 20:32

I am a physio and the policy at my hospital is within 10 workings days for pregnant women. Often it is sooner. Try phoning the physio dept direct 1) to check the referral was received 2) to try and book an appointment.

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