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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Midwife doesn't cater for working mothers!

123 replies

rubyslippers7788 · 08/12/2013 19:00

Hi,

I work full time 8:00 - 4:00 Monday to Friday. My midwife is at my GP's surgery every Wednesday from 12 - 4:45. The problem is that she likes her bookings to be one after another. So If she has one at 3:30 then she wants the next one to be at 3:45. She refuses to wait for me to finish work at 4:00, I could be there at 4.10 so she wouldn't have to wait long. So if her last appointment is at 3:30 she wont wait until 4:10 for me ... even though she is supposed to stay until 4.45. Is this normal?! I am now 22 weeks pregnant and haven't seen her since I was 5 weeks pregnant ... all because she wont wait and my work is extremely awkward when trying to get time off.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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legoplayingmumsunite · 08/12/2013 19:16

I know everyone is right WRT work having to give you time off but my MWs were the same and it really pissed me off. They are suppose to be providing service to people of working age. Surely they understand that people want to eat into their working day as little as possible for medical appointments? If you live some distance from work you can't just pop out for half an hour. My dentist always let me book appointments at the end of the day, why can't my doctor (or midwife?). I would just phone up at the end of the day the day before I wanted to have an appointment with the MW so I could get the latest appointment possible. We use the OOH service quite a lot round here instead of seeing the GP, it's much more convenient (GP surgeries at the weekend, how is that for a radical idea?).

Cariad007 · 08/12/2013 19:17

It sounds like what your work is doing is illegal - I'd show them the page EdithWeston linked to as you are allowed time off for antenatal appointments and they should not be making things difficult for you.

noblegiraffe · 08/12/2013 19:17

Why don't you just fill out the forms and get them signed? it's not like they can say no.

I'm also a teacher so know the pain of trying to get cover but in this case they just have to.

Spookey80 · 08/12/2013 19:19

I am in a similar position to you op. I am actually due to see my mw in the next week and phage been calling the surgery for the last few weeks in order to get the latest appt possible. I still don't have an appt but I am going to ring next week and then just accept the appt time as I feel its important that I see her.
It is a poor system, but also there time is important and if they have a 45 min gap between patients I suppose that is quite inconvienent for them too. My mw is only in my surgery one day a week, I am trying to be fair to my workplace, but at the end of the day, you are entitled by law to time off for maternity aopts and they are very important, so have priority really.

EssentialCoffee · 08/12/2013 19:20

Sorry but I'd be complaint to my team leader/manager, you really should be getting to see the midwife regularly! They'll have to manage without you on maternity leave so they'll have to manage without you for an hour or so whilst you leave work early to go to the midwife!

VivaLeBeaver · 08/12/2013 19:22

The nhs doesn't have enough money to pay someone to sit round 45 minutes waiting for you. And I'm sure the midwife has so much to do that she doesn't have the time. If you need this much flexibility you need to pay for private care.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 08/12/2013 19:23

My school are being brilliant. I'm having to go to the EPU regularly at the moment and they are being fab. I have to get a form signed by the head for medical spots but he just rubber stamps then and wishes me well.

legoplayingmumsunite · 08/12/2013 19:23

And if they want all the appointments together why not fill up the day from the end backwards. Working mothers will book early to get the later appointments and those that don't mind what time can call whenever to book their appointment. MWs can do their community work (visiting mothers who have already had their babies and so are at home) earlier in the day and have the more routine appointments later (less likely to overrun as well I'd have thought so they can get home on time). Problem solved!

LittlePeaPod · 08/12/2013 19:25

Op seriously have a look at this service. It's NHs funded and offer appointments at your home any day between 7am and 8pm and you get the same MW all the way through

www.onetoonemidwives.org/

Trigglesx · 08/12/2013 19:28

Regardless of OP's work situation, the midwife is being uncooperative. If she has phone calls and forms to work on, she can easily do those whilst waiting for the OP's appointment and still leave on time. What difference does it make if she does phone calls and forms from 3:30 to 4:00 or from 4:15 to 4:45? Answer? None. And while yes, she may have home visits to do, the OP isn't planning on going in every day for heaven's sake. It's most likely just going to be once a month for another couple months anyway.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 19:34

our midwife works the same and it's bloody irritating!!!

i am a sahm, so generally i can make appointments work. but if I call for an appointment and the next available one is say, 2.50pm or 3.10pm or something then I CANNOT do it as I have school run.

so, I have to try again next week and hope that I just happen to ring early enough to get one beforehand or late enough to get one that I can then take all the children along to

I understand, to an extent, why they work like that. But I do think the flip side of it is that people end up not getting seen when they need to because of the utter lack of flexibility.

She only works there one bloody afternoon a week, and I think if I need an appointment I really ought to be able to get one.

Original poster

rubyslippers7788 · 08/12/2013 19:34

I guess that in all honesty I do not have much faith in my midwife so this is just another issue that I have with her. I had to wait longer than I should have for my first scan as the midwife 'lost' my notes and then swore that I had never been to see her and that she had never met me before! After having a second round of blood tests as she had also 'lost' the results for these she then miraculously found all of my paperwork.

OP posts:

Original poster

rubyslippers7788 · 08/12/2013 19:36

In addition to this she also has never heard of a medical illness that runs through my family so isn't willing to refer me on to a consultant / let me have more tests done. I find her extremely incompetent.

OP posts:

Casmama · 08/12/2013 19:38

Go see your GP especially if you want a referral to a consultant.

MrsCakesPremonition · 08/12/2013 19:39

Have you spoken to the Supervisor of Midwives at your hospital about the issue with the notes and your referral for the illness you've mentioned?

Original poster

rubyslippers7788 · 08/12/2013 19:43

I phoned to complain about the midwife and was told that as she is the team leader they wouldn't accept my complaint!

OP posts:

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 19:44

Who did you phone?

MrsCakesPremonition · 08/12/2013 19:45

Who did you speak to?

Was it the Supervisor of Midwives?

If it was, you should consider escalating to PALS at the hospital.

VivaLeBeaver · 08/12/2013 19:45

The midwife may well have to go back to the hospital after her last appt and do work there. Where I work this is what the community midwives have to do (after doing any visits which still haven't been done).

They have to take notes back to file, any computing can't be done in the GP Surgery as the computer system isn't the same as the hospital one. They're meant to finish at 5pm but the majority I know often don't finish till after 6pm......and they don't get paid for this extra hour a day.

So yes they would prefer to finish their clinics as early as they can rather than wait around. Its no good saying that the OP only needs one appt every few months.....it won't just be the OP asking. If the midwife does it for the OP she'll have to do it for others and it will be every clinic.

By all means moan at the hospital and suggest staggered start times for community midwives, evening clinics, etc.

nancerama · 08/12/2013 19:49

I understand the NHS is under pressure, but I experienced similar when I was pregnant and the lack of flexibility was ridiculous. I had a 2 hour commute, and they insisted on giving me a 12:15 appointment each time. Travelling 8 hours a day into work and back because my appointment was at midday wasn't going to happen, so I ended up using holiday for all my appointments.

I tried to get it changed but was informed that 12:15 was my slot for all appointments and there was nothing I could do to change it.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 08/12/2013 19:55

LittlePeaPod One2One midwives have frozen their services due to funding - I am also in Yorkshire but can't get one. I am really disappointed as the service is amazing and I would love to have it.

OP, I am a pt teacher and my mw has the same appointment system as you and only offers appts during my working hours. I work over an hour away from my surgery. My school have never been difficult about my appts - I have explained the situation and made it clear that I will try to minimise disruption where possible but I do have to miss work sometimes and this right is legally protected.

If you are 22 weeks now, in a few weeks you will need to see the mw much more frequently. She will need to monitor the baby's growth, movements, heartbeat etc. You will have to start prioritising your health and your baby's wellbeing and your employer is categorically not allowed to make this awkward for you.

LittlePeaPod · 08/12/2013 20:04

Jelly. I didn't know that. I have been with them since 7 weeks and still with them now (36+3). I wonder if they are not taking new cases on..

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:13

The lack of 'flexibility' is there for a reason. It's not the NHS fault that patients have a long commute, or have inflexible employers who won't let the employers away for appointments or work from home on the day of their appointments - so stop blaming the NHS and look to the guilty party, ie your employer.

If a midwife is required to be flexible for one patient then she/h is required to be flexible for all patients, and that just isn't possible. When people say that they know the NHS is under pressure I'm not sure they fully appreciate the level of pressure.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:18

what about patients who genuinely can't get to the appointment they'[re offered though?

they have to just miss out yes? and hope that the next week there is one they can get to? hope they ring at the right time?

i'm sorry, but i disagree. every woman has a right to proper care during her pregnancy, and the midwives JOB is to provide that. if someone cannot get to an appointment at the time they are saying, then they should absolutely be flexible and change it.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:19

and let's be honest, this is relatively new. when I had my last baby I was "allowed" to book an appointment that suited me.

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