To give an incorrect address for Maternity referral

[xsarahxs]

I’m 6 weeks pregnant with my first child (naturally), following a failed IVF a few months ago.

I self-referred myself to the hospital of my choice and have received a call back from them to say that they have changed their boundaries now and my address falls out of area. I explained to them that I really don’t want to go to the other hospital close to me as my dad almost died there of cancer due to negligence but she just said “if you move address to somewhere closer, we will definitely take you on”.

We’re looking to buy our first house but goodness knows when that will be due to the pandemic.

But what she said got me thinking, cause yesterday I visited proffered hospital due to pains and a nurse said to me “do you know anyone who lives closer, use their address?”.

Do you reckon I could use someone else’s address? The person I know who lives closer wouldn’t mind me using their address but I don’t want to tell them I’m pregnant till the 13 week mark.

Could someone please let me know if hospitals tend to send maternity letters etc via post anymore? I don’t want letters addressed to me turning up at their address before they know I’m pregnant.

Yes you will receive everything by post. Your booklet, leaflets, results. I even had the bags for my blood test to be sent off in from my booking in appointment sent by post beforehand. I'm sorry 😔

Hi OP, I think I did get letters during the first 13 weeks eg invites for scans. If you do this, I'm not sure if it will cause issues with your GP records as they will receive communication too, so you may need to update the address with your GP as well.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad

They will change your address on their hospital system - that means that ALL correspondence from the hospital will turn up at their address (scan appt letters, maternity appt letters, but also any other letters from any other hospital department - say gastroenterology or eye clinic spots, or whatever).

Also, the new, false address will be printed on letters from your midwives to your GP surgery - so your GP may think you've moved out of their catchment area and remove you from their surgery.

I’m so sorry OP, that’s a really tough situation. All of my letters etc have come by post, and everything gets sent to the GP as well so I think it would be noticed if the addresses were different.

Is there any other choice of hospital? Some people get to choose between two in the same area, it might be worth looking into that.

Thanks for your responses.

Unfortunately, the only other hospital “nearby” is over 7 miles away, and due to the traffic it that part of London, generally a 35-40 minute journey.

I would have thought they’d have some sympathy towards the situation.

I think I’ll have to just refer myself to the hospital I don’t want to go to and just hope and pray that we move houses before the birth.

I'm booked at a hospital that isn't the closest to me and I'm classes 'out of area' but have had zero issues! The only slightly annoying thing is that I have all my midwife appointments at that hospital rather than anywhere more local

This out of area hospital is quite strict with boundaries because they’re so hugely popular.

I’ve just asked my friend if I can use her address for a hospital referral, had to lie about the reason, I’m sure she’ll see right through me, she’s a nurse

If your friend forwards the post on it should be ok. But your post natal midwife visits will also be to that address but that's a issue for post birth.

If they can't contact you when they have to you may end up on the safeguarding list as you are avoiding contact. That really isn't ideal. I work for a gp and have seen it happen.

The only problem with that is postnatal care. They will turn up at your friends address surely? The GP will also be informed of your change of address and they may force you to change to a more 'local' one

I'm sorry for the experience with your dad, but you do understand that the maternity bit is completely separate to the cancer care? It will likely be in different buildings and you won't even need to see the area where your dad was treated if you don't want to, and obviously it is completely different medical staff. Unfortunately the midwives are unlikely to be sympathetic to your situation because if they said yes to you, then they'd have to say yes to everyone who had a family member treated at another hospital so didn't want to go to said hospital for a completely separate issue and I assume they've felt the need to implement a catchment area for this very reason.

You might find comparing your maternity options on Which useful? Most London hospital are highly regarded. If you still really want to go to this other London hospital then I guess you could rent somewhere closer as like people have said, using your friend's address could mean that you have to change GP and if it's in a different borough it will mean that you might not be able to take your baby to things in your area such as weigh ins, HV appointments or classes because you're deemed ineligible. We moved house when I was pregnant (about 2 miles but different borough) and my first GP surgery called me up to tell me that they'd received wind of our new address from the hospital (which I could still go to) and I had a week to register with a GP closer to my new address because I was now out of their catchment area.

Sorry to hear about your dad.

Complication here is the midwife and health visitor visits to your home after the baby is born.

I’ve been with my GP since I was in my early 20s and have even moved to Birmingham temporarily whilst still registered there, I don’t think they’re too fussed.

I suppose I could change address to my actual address closer to due date to ensure I get postnatal visits to the correct address.

I think it’s something I’ll have to have a deep think about.

Thank you all for your input and advice.

We’re actually looking to buy our first house, so hopefully will have moved into the “catchment area” before the baby is born anyway

Google the NHS patient choice leaflet and then speak to your GP. I didn't give birth or have maternity care at my local hospital and it's out of area.

I am sorry to hear your dad suffered negligence however the department dealing with his care; the consultants he were under, the triage systems and so on will be completely different than that the maternity and antenatal wards will use.
I would do some research about their pre and postnatal care because trying to pull a fast one on them.
As others have mentioned, if your GP catches wind and you're out of their catchment zone and the midwives and HVs are dispatched from your GP or local surestart centres then you're scuppered for postnatal care.

Also sometimes there's a lot of GP involvement such as if you have blood pressure issues or clots during pregnancy.

I don't think doctors care really when the move is temporary but when they're actively working with you out of catchment it can be an issue.

have even moved to Birmingham temporarily whilst still registered there, I don’t think they’re too fussed.
I imagine if a Birmingham hospital had forwarded records to them you'd have been off their list pronto.

I'd definitely try again. It may have changed in 5 years but my friend had her daughter 300 miles away from her home as was the plan.

I thought you can chose the hospital you want to be cared for under - it's like choose and book.
Look up birth rights to confirm.
It's GPs that have catchment areas.

I assume that when you temporarily moved to Birmingham you weren't pregnant or actively having lots of healthcare in your life? I think most London GPs would find it very hard to justify continuing to offer you care once they had wind that you were no longer living in their catchment, if that is indeed the case.

You say you're looking to buy your first house and it's obviously very early days in your pregnancy, but the chances of you having it all completed within the next 20 weeks or so are quite slim given the current situation. When we bought our first London house it took 15 weeks and that was an "easy" purchase where there was no chain, we already had a mortgage in principle etc. When we sold that house in 2018, it was a chain of 5 yet completed within 7 weeks so it can be done, just don't bank on it particularly if you're in the early stages of house buying, and surely you can't add "in catchment area of X hospital" to your wish list?! But that's not really the point of your thread.

Which London hospitals are you looking at? If they're central or SW then I'll have likely been cared for by them at some point (not maternity) but will likely know people who have delivered there.

I thought things had changed so that you can choose the hospital you are treated at regardless of catchment areas/distance, excluding GP Surgeries. I'll apologise in advance if this also doesn't cover maternity. Having seen DP endure a traumatic pregnancy due to poor service provision I hope you can find a good solution @xsarahxs

Put friends address, get letters etc. Then change address back a month or so later.

@savingshoes I think the issue is that the OP is looking to book into a heavily oversubscribed London hospital which has implemented a "catchment area" policy to prevent everyone and anyone booking into them. She could fight the decision and put in an appeal to deliver there (which is what it says on the Birth Rights website) which would be considered by the CCG, and likewise if she rocked up there in labour they'd have to provide care for her but if they're that oversubscribed then they're going to do everything they can to persuade the OP to book into the other hospital where she actually lives. The only reason for her not to do that is because of upset relating to her dad's care in a different department of the hospital rather than a specific medical need to be cared for by the out of catchment hospital.

I guess it's comparable to applying for school places. In theory your child can go anywhere but if you don't live in the catchment area for an oversubscribed school then you don't stand a chance of getting in unless there are other factors at play, whereas if your preferred school is not oversubscribed then they'd accept your application from anywhere.

@Mummyme87 that’s what I was thinking of doing.