Lewisham midwife appoitment

[ALaura]

I self referred to Lewisham hospital and had to chase for some time to get a midwife appointment. I've reached half way through my pregnancy and I still don't have a named midwife and I can't get an appointment, I've even had to lodge a complaint. Has anyone else had this problem?

Have you not had any appointments at all? What about scans? I had my son at Lewisham but all my midwife appointments were at my GP's surgery so maybe call your surgery for help.

Because I live in Eltham I can't get an appointment at a GP's surgery, other areas; however, still have GP's surgeries as options. The GP's surgergy said I needed to self refer to the hospital and that they can't help with appointments. I have had one appointment so far. I've left phone messages and even lodged a complaint, they still will not arrange an appointment that I can attend location and time wise. They offered me an appointment somewhere late in the evening that is no where near where I live or work which would mean I'm out at night relying on public transport to get home which I don't want to do whilst pregnant. It's a total nightmare

@ALaura and tbf not wanting to us public transport when pregnant isn't really an argument for not attending

Hmm, does sound a bit messy. Do call the maternity unit and ask for help to get the rest of your appointments booked in - v important for your health and baby's. Try PALS if you don't get anywhere. I agree with PP though that not wanting to use public transport to get to appointments isn't going to be well received - that's what most people do!

So you have had appointments but declined to go? I think when you are not using your local hospital (ie you are not the intended constituency for the pregnancy) you probably need to either be flexible or get appointments at your local midwifery unit. The system is not really designed for everyone to go to a different hospital to their local one as it relies on roughly even numbers.

Also my midwife appointments are separate to what hospital I am having the baby at, as the midwife contact (non-labour) is separate to the hospital and in a different (nearer) building - can you not have your midwife appointments with your local midwife service, even though you are booked in at a different hospital? If you go to your GP they will explain where your local midwife unit is.

I've tried PALS, I've phoned the midwife team, left messages, no success

www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/who-is-who

Loads of options to get in touch. Realistically where do you want your appointments? And at what times?

I really think you need to get your head around just attending appointments. DH and I don't drive. We have DD who is 2. I just have to make the appointments! On buses or cabs if I'm feeling particularly rough.

Ask for Linda Mack, she’s the head of midwifery for lewisham and Greenwich. She helped me when I had a complaint and ended up taking over my care completely.

You can also go on Facebook and look for Edie the E-midwife for Greenwich and lewisham and send a message through there.

I'm pretty sure the stand they will take is that they have offered you an appointment. You have decided it's not convenient and haven't attended.

I'm on my third pregnancy and never had a named midwife, I'm not sure it's even a thing here, you are under a locality team of midwives.

Have you had your scans?

Other than scans which are separate to midwife appointments, By 20 weeks you would only usually have had your booking appointment and a 16 week appointment with the midwives, so if you have only had one you equally have only missed one too (presumably the one you didn't attend?)

Can I ask why you’ve self referred to Lewisham? QE is only one bus from Eltham and stops right outside the hospital. The birth centre there is excellent, I had my last baby there in 2016 and couldn’t fault the care and after care.

Your baby really is more important than you not wanting to use a bus in the evening.

My midwife appointments have to be on a Wednesday between 10 and 1. Annoying, but that's what it is....and if I moved to another it would still be such a small timeframe weekly. It's not like booking a GP appointment where you can have any day or time where I am.

I self referred to Lewisham for DC2 - had DC1 there while living in the borough and saw a named midwife at the GP surgery. Staff and after care were excellent and I wanted to go back for number 2. By that time we’d moved outside the borough so I was classed as an out-of-area patient and given appointments with the community midwife at a local children’s centre. Never saw the same person twice, which was a bit of a ballache but I did get all the right scans plus consultant appointments for VBAC discussions and a VBAC clinic session.

I think if you are going out of area you may have to accept that they can’t accommodate you as easily as a more local patient. I agree with others that the public transport argument is unlikely to change anything. If you are healthy and have no complications they will not want to see you that often until the end of the pregnancy, maybe once a month?

So they have offered you an appointment, but you don’t want to go on a bus after dark so you’ve declined it? That’s not really the same thing...

You don’t get a named midwife at Lewisham. I had DC3 there a few months ago, and all my midwife appointments were at the GP.

Agree with trying Linda. If that fails try Lynn Bayes (see who’s who at bottom of this link www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/who-is-who)

They have offered you appointments but you don’t want to go because you don’t want to get on a bus at night? Why self refer to a trust that is tricky to get to and from?

I gave birth at Lewisham 4 months ago (and live in the borough), and I'm sure I had a named MW on my notes - I saw her at each appointment.

All scans, appointments etc were on time, and they were generally excellent. I ended up writing them a two page love letter after the birth!

I agree with others re public transport; not sure it's much of an argument unless there is a backstory here.

I'm not sure not wanting to take the bus is a decent enough excuse not to attend the appointment! How many weeks are you and what scans have you had so far?

I don't get any of my appointments at the GP surgery and have to the hospital for scans, or my midwife comes to me.

Hi I think for the area (Greenwich/Lewisham), they do just give appointments where there's availability and within your pregnancy weeks timeframe, which regrettably may not be one closest to you.

My first midwife appt is at a children's centre in Eltham and it's minimum two bus rides and at least 50mins away from me. I thought it was a bit far and did ask if I could have somewhere nearer especially since Queen Elizabeth hospital is very close to me but was told that is the availability for me for now given my pregnancy timeframe.
Also, I was told it may not always be at this centre.

I also did self-referral on the website and aside from doing the initial pregnancy test (as part of regular pre-Pap smear ) at my GP, I have had no other contact w my GP for the pregnancy and am looking towards NHS and the midwives for the care.
Just saying this could be the experience for pregnancies handled in this area.

Hi all, sorry for thread hijacking. I self referred to Lewisham about three weeks ago and haven't heard anything. I emailed Edie the e midwife (brilliant!) Who replied with the number for park view to chase up. However, the number provided has a message saying instead call a mobile which never seems to be on. I've tried at various times of day! Just rang my GP who said they don't have any details.

Any ideas?! Should I ring the Lewisham non urgent enquiry? Or is three weeks just too soon to hear? (I'm 7 weeks). Thanks!

I know your message is over a year old, so you've got it sorted by now... but in case it helps anyone else, hospitals are still giving out an outdated number for Parkview midwives. The correct one at the moment is 02083187441