Unable to get GP appointment for prescription advised by Midwife team

[RhiannonD114]

Is there anyone else out there that has managed to get around the complete blackout of services from their GP surgery, when they are pregnant, have been advised by your midwife team to have frequent Blood pressure and urine tests (every 4 weeks) at your GP's and also advised to get a prescription for medication?

I am so frustrated by the fact I can't even get a telephone appointment with my GP and the Patient Access app offers no advice for Pregnancy or expecting mothers. It only offers a "private (paid for) Pharmacy service" which I think takes the mick.

All midwife appointments are phone calls and no GP available. First time pregnant. Would have loved a bit more advice, reassurance and support. Even a statement on the GP app targeted towards expecting mothers would have been appreciated.

I have messaged the GP surgery twice now and not had any response. If anyone has any suggestions on how i can get through to them that would be much appreciated. My next plan is to book a day's holiday from work to actually go to the surgery and speak to someone through the intercom but don't really want to have to do that if it will get me nowhere.

My gp is running an online consult from its website. You fill out a form based on your needs and a go gets back to you within two days. At first I was quite miffed about it, but I've used it a few times for DS, and now to get a pregnancy related prescription,and actually I've been dealt with within 12hrs every time. I even got a face to face appointment when prescriptions for my son weren't working as intended.
Check your GPS website and see if they are running something similar. It isn't on our patient access app, just the main gp website.

Why are your midwives not doing your BP if they think this is necessary? Or setting you up with a home monitoring kit? (Midwife here - we would never ask a woman to go to the GP surgery for this unless it was non-Covid times and this was more convenient for them)
Is the medication 5mg folic acid? Literally just ring the surgery and request it from the receptionist. They can task your GP. If it’s anything else you haven’t had before ie. Asprin or Iron (can’t think of much else we’re asking GPs to prescribe unless women are already on regular medications like thyroxine), they should really request it for you. A quick email is all it would take.

A bit confused because if the midwife wants you to have 4 weekly BP and urinalysis they are the ones that should be doing it not passing it onto the GP! If it's a 'routine' script eg gaviscon, folic acid, ferrous sulphate, paracetamol you should be able to request it via the Receptionist or prescriptions clerk over the telephone. I really hope you get the problem sorted but also speak to your midwife about the problems you're having! Good luck!

With the exception of the prescription (and even that depends on what it is for), the monitoring is all a responsibility of the midwife, not the GP. The GP contract does not require GPs to provide this service.

Can you do an e-consultation type thing? It should be on their website if they offer it. Perhaps go back to your midwife and explain the problem you are having?

Your midwife should be doing BP tests and urinalysis, and your GP should be able to prescribe over the phone. I would be throwing my weight around a little if i were you.

I would speak to PALS perhaps. If you google PALS for your area they might be able to help you. They're like a 'go between' for you and nhs services if you're having problems. Stands for the patient advice and liaison service. They've been helpful to me in the past. Hopefully you have something similar / the same in your area.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

My GP Surgery points everyone towards the Patient Access App but no appointments available. No other service available from the GP website but I have messaged them directly twice over the last 10 days and not had any form of response from them other than an automatic confirmation of a submission.

Unfortunately the prescription I need is not a supplement or something I can just get over the counter (otherwise I would happily just go and purchase it).

Don't get me started on the Midwife team at my local hospital. I have been given nothing but contradictory advice from one phone call to the next, and that's when I can get through to someone. I am supposed to be on High Surveillance (I wasn't told this, I discovered this in my notes after my Anomoly scan) and they messed that up and not one person explained anything to me at either scan or went through my first set of blood tests with me (which showed concerns). First time mum here, so I had no idea when to push for updates/responses. I assumed they would call me and discuss my issues and risks with me.

The last phone call appointment I had they asked for my BP and Urine test results from my GP, as if I had been told to go to the GP for these tests (I hadn't been). They said I should be going to my GP every 4 weeks and I explained I can't get an appointment. Then they booked me in to come to the clinic at the hospital and they told me they don't have any home BP kits available and took all the tests etc and told me to go back to my GP in 4 weeks time. They also told me to get a prescription from my GP but I had no idea how difficult that was going to be at the time.

Tried calling my midwife team back and they told me that they are rarely available between 9:30am - 4:30pm due to "house visits" (which I thought were not running) and meetings. So I have to call back between 9am - 9:30am and 4:30pm - 6pm. Tried that - no answer, no voicemail service either. Ended up calling Delivery Suite and managed to speak to someone who has now said they will contact me to come to the hospital clinic to come in for BP tests and urine in 4 weeks but that they can't write me a prescription and that I must go to my GP. GP still not taking appointments (phone or F2F). I give up!

I will check out PALS and see if they can help.

Thanks, all! :)

I finally got it!
After a missed call from my GP surgery at 8:15am (no prior warning to expect a phone call), I called the surgery (on hold for 38 mins) and got through to a receptionist who said I had an appt this morning. I explained that I was not made aware of any such appointment and was driving to work and could not answer my phone at that time.
She told me to expect a call tomorrow morning and then a few hours later I got a call from the GP who has sent my prescription off to the pharmacy! Hooray!

The next hurdle was that I knew nothing about needing to complete an FW8 form for medical exemption for prescription charges or dental treatment whilst pregnant. The pharmacist explained this to me so I will get that sorted for next time. I called my midwife team as the NHS website says this can be sorted with Midwife or GP but once again, they advised me to go back to my GP as they can't give me this form. So when I have regained the patience to go on hold for another hour I will try calling them back to get this sorted.

Really starting to wonder what else I don't know and should know about this pregnancy lark now!
If anyone knows of any other forms I should complete I would be much obliged!

The GP surgery here has been operating well throughout, it's ridiculous that some aren't. Anyway, when I was pregnant the GP said they could only prescribe if they had an email from the midwife, is your midwife doing anything? Have they contacted your GP?

Also the midwives did my free prescription form as well, it seems they just can't really be arsed- as annoying as it is, keep phoning them.

I scanned my previous one to GP reception the doctor rang me to confirm few things then he sent it to the pharmacy i collected straight from there xx

That must be so frustrating! Your midwife definitely seems to be palming you off on the GP and that's coming from a first time mum with no real experience! Everything they've sent you to the GP for is something my midwife has done while at appointments (only had 1 face to face and 2 scans due to covid). It's worth mentioning your mat b form if you're over 20 weeks when you phone the GP back. Save yourself another frustrating phone call or being put on hold!