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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Anyone here in Lewisham & Greenwich? Assigned midwife MILES away

33 replies

WazFlimFlam · 24/03/2018 18:38

I have FINALLY received my booking in appointment for three weeks time (arrived 11 days after they sent it) and I have been assigned a midwife as far away as they could possibly be, from my home.

It will take me an hour on public transport to get there. I live in Greenwich so I am in Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust but wanted to give birth at Lewisham hospital and have my hospital appointments there as it is the closest to my home. But all of the other children's centres, where I understand many midwife appointments in both Lewisham and Greenwich are closer to my home than this one.

Can I challenge this? And on what basis? Will it delay my booking in appointment etc?

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Aozora13 · 24/03/2018 20:54

Hello! I’m in L&G. Lived in Greenwich when I had DD in 2016. Had my booking appointment at QEH then was under the Cutty Sark MW team. No specific MW but luckily they had an antenatal clinic at my doctors surgery. Am now expecting DC2 and have moved to another part of the borough so under a different team. Got my booking appointment at QEH in a couple of weeks. As far as I understand it, the MW teams have clinics in different locations in their catchment area so you should be able to access one nearer by? Unless Lewisham does things differently to QEH, or you have specific health needs? An hour away is crazy, it’s hardly a remote rural area! I guess ask at your booking appt? Good luck!

ClareB83 · 24/03/2018 23:40

I'm Greenwich and Lewisham too and have changed clinics a couple of times to fit with hospital appointments as I have two quite near me. I think you should just give them a ring and ask to change.

My first booking appointment was bang in the middle of dates I said I couldn't do as I was out of the country. I just rang and they changed it. It wasn't a big deal.

Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 25/03/2018 09:02

Good to know you can change Clare. Also, does anyone know how these midwives are assigned? Does this sound like a mistake?

OP posts:

PalePinkSwan · 25/03/2018 09:04

That sounds like a mistake tbh, everybody I know had midwives assigned more locally. Ring, explain you can’t get there, and they should reassign you no problem.

TeachesOfPeaches · 25/03/2018 09:04

I had my son at QE in Woolwich and live in Blackheath. I don't think think I ever seen the same midwife twice but went to the same doctors surgery and just seen whoever was there. Just call them up and change.

Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 25/03/2018 09:35

Its my first pregnancy and there are no health reasons I can see that I will mean I have to access anything other than standard care.

I wondered, if you self refer to Lewisham do you have to have Lewisham-based midwives, or can you have the ones in Greenwich?

OP posts:

ClareB83 · 25/03/2018 09:36

Yes it does sound like a mistake. It should just be your nearest clinic.

Aozora13 · 25/03/2018 20:02

I would expect the community midwife services just to be your nearest one regardless of where you’re planning to give birth, but don’t know the details of how it works. If it’s not on the website maybe best to ring up and ask? I had a couple of my NCT group who gave birth in Guys or UCH (not in borough anyway) and pretty sure their antenatal care was local to Greenwich

Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 25/03/2018 20:03

I was advised to call between 8.30 and 9.30 in the morning so will call tomorrow or Tuesday.

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Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 27/03/2018 11:50

Agggh, so Penge midwives admit they are an incredibly long way away from me, but say I have been referred there as they may be opening a clinic in Nottingham (a mile away from me) 'soon'. It could be a month, it could be six, it could be longer, they don't know.

They say I can't see midwives in Greenwich because I have referred to Lewisham. So I have tried to refer myself to the nearest Lewisham-based midwives and they say I have to be seen closer to home. Just waiting for local midwives to call me back…. again….

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Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 27/03/2018 11:52

*Mottingham not Nottingham obvs

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ClareB83 · 27/03/2018 13:20

Can you change to QEH for now to get Greenwich midwife and swap back to Lewisham Hospital later? I know you can change hospitals.

Aozora13 · 27/03/2018 13:34

How frustrating! And is Penge even in Lewisham? I hope you can resolve things as endless traveling with a growing bump is no fun.

sakura06 · 27/03/2018 13:44

Penge is in Lewisham, but it's quite far from Lewisham hospital.

I saw the midwives at my doctor's surgery in Lewisham (I live in Lewisham too). Can you not see midwives at your surgery and give birth in Lewisham? It seems odd because the community midwives don't tend to be at the birth (unless you have a home birth!).

NoSquirrels · 27/03/2018 13:47

I think what you need to do is be under QEH and the Greenwich team until much closer to your due date, then change to Lewisham after e.g. 32 weeks. That’s what everyone did a few years ago. It is a bit frustrating but as you’ll never see the same midwife twice anyway, it’s the most logical option.

Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 27/03/2018 13:49

Clare, I may have to but don't want to. Lewisham is much easier for me to get to any hospital-based appointments and I have a scan there. I will see what the Eltham midwives say when they call back.

I could always just go to the sodding Penge booking in appointment and pray they open their Mottingham clinic very soon. While I appreciate they are trying to ensure continuity of care and are up against it, it is a little odd to refer me to a service that doesn't actually exist yet...

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Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 27/03/2018 13:52

Sakura my GP surgery doesn't do antenatal so there are no midwives attached to it and they are being quite unhelpful.

I suppose I would do that if that is what is expected of me, but it is fantastically unclear what you are expected to do and you are expected to self-refer with no input from a local healthcare professional who might know these things.

OP posts:

Loobyanna · 27/03/2018 13:54

I lived in Greenwich when I had dd. I didn't have an assigned midwife but all my appointments were at Lewisham.

Loobyanna · 27/03/2018 13:56

I rang Lewisham hospital when I found out I was pregnant and was called there for my booking in scan, and then all my appointments were there. Had a different midwife each time though. I don't understand why your process sounds so different to mine!

Original poster

WazFlimFlam · 27/03/2018 14:04

Loobyanna, when did this happen?

Basically, I was asked to fill in a self-referral form online specifying which hospital I wanted to be referred to. Which is inherently a stupid idea. I should have just been referred to local midwifery services by my local GP and then picked a hospital later. But the trust in their infinite wisdom has chosen this odd 'self-referal' process in which I have been asked to make a choice with none of the information essential to make it, and then referred me miles away because those midwives may be setting up a clinic near me, at some point in the future. I think this may be the point that has greatly complicated matters.

OP posts:

Loobyanna · 28/03/2018 07:50

This was 2014 so I suppose things may have changed. Doesn't feel that long ago to me.

HanutaQueen · 31/03/2018 22:08

If you live in Greenwich then you might count as 'out of area' for Lewisham even though you're entitled to have your baby there, so they would then send you to whichever antenatal clinic covers out of area women at the time even if it isn't the closest to your home.

Lewisham midwives do a clinic in New Cross at Waldron Health Centre if that is any help.

There's no such thing as 'local midwifery services' where you then choose a different hospital. You are looked after for antenatal care by the midwives employed by the Trust you're booking with. The notes are all different, policies are all different etc. It would be a nightmare, especially in London. If you live in Clapham, say, you could easily have a baby at St Thomas', Kings, St George's, C&W or Croydon!

There must be a closer antenatal clinic for you than Penge though! They might have an antenatal clinic at the actual hospital.

DappledThings · 31/03/2018 22:15

I live in the Croydon part of Crystal Palace but chose King's. All my antenatal appointments were at Denmark Hill so best part of an hour on public transport. I just assumed it was normal as I was out of area. It's only a few appointments if you will have standard care. It was only when I started NCT that I realised appointments were held in places like GP surgeries nearer home.

ClareB83 · 31/03/2018 22:38

Lewisham and Greenwich are one NHS Trust and include both Lewisham Hospital and QEH in Woolwich.

EffRam · 28/04/2018 08:32

Hi @wazflimflam !

I'm a bit late so you've probably sorted this now and had appoinent, but at my booking appointment which was beginning of April the midwife said Lewisham and Greenwich midwives work together and cover whole area. She also gave me a list of all the clinics available for midwife appointments as every day they're in a different place and offered me choice of any, if I had a day preference. It does seem a bit random as the one I got booked for originally is not the one nearest my house, although it's not miles away!

It did seem weird to self refer with no other info but we just put Lewisham as it's nearest and figured we could change if we worked out it wasn't right for us!

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