Midwife appointments - what would you do?!

[RWK29]

Starting to get really frustrated now and I feel like I’m getting nowhere 😓 (Apologies, I did post the beginning of this last week but can’t find the thread). Looking for advice as to what you would all do?!

Was supposed to have a midwife appt week beginning 14th Sept. Was told she couldn’t give me a specific day but would phone me on the Monday with a day and time. Monday came and went, no call. Tried to contact her on Tuesday - there’s no direct contact for my community midwives so I was sent on a wild goose chase and had to call 11 numbers before I got someone who would pass on a message to her 😐 finally got a call back on Friday from another midwife telling me mine had been off sick all week. Was a bit frustrated that nobody had contacted me sooner to let me know but I get that things are a bit all over the place just now 🙄

Was told by that midwife that if mine wasn’t back to work at the start of this week then there were things in place for another midwife to call me on Monday 21st and give me an appt with them instead. It’s now Friday 25th and I’ve heard absolutely nothing and can’t get a call back from anyone.

I’m 34+3 today and haven’t seen a midwife since 28 weeks (which was the only face to face contact I’ve had so far apart from scans). Any ideas where to go from here? I’m really starting to lose confidence in the level of care being given 😔

@islandislandisland Congratulations on your little one 😊 I hope you’re being looked after better now!! It’s definitely very frustrating 😔

Finally just got a call back from “one of the community midwives” (didn’t introduce herself). Was sorry I was having trouble with appointments. My midwife is still off sick and the others are really busy. She’ll try and have someone contact me on Monday to schedule in my next appointment 🙄 also keep calling me Natalie (not my name 🙄) has to correct her multiple times. Complete shambles!

That sounds awful. I’m not very good with things like this because I’m always of the mind that I should be grateful for the nhs (I’m think I should be firmer sometimes) but you’re clearly not getting the care you should be.
Not your fault they’re busy/ ill//short staffed. I’d maybe give them one last chance on Monday then escalate it.
I’m 31 weeks with number 2 and I had a mw appointment at 28 weeks and due another this week at 32 weeks. My care has been infrequent but reliable.

@Bernardstolemywatch Ohh gosh, I’m beyond grateful for the NHS! I hope I’m not coming across as being ungrateful 🙈 I have family that live abroad and the stress they go though over healthcare costs is unbelievable? I genuinely go out of my way to use the NHS as little as possible because I don’t believe in taking advantage of it 🙈 I just feel that if we are entitled to NHS healthcare in this country then there should be a basic standard that is kept when we do have to use it!

I honestly think this is not the care you should be receiving.
You need to be firmer and i would still escalate the issue as there seems to be a serious problem with this team. It is clearly not functioning as it should.
If i was a high risk pregnancy and not being followed up properly or having to chase to see my MW i would not just be satisfied with a call back from someone who doesn't introduce themselves and calls me another name and still not give me an appointment!!!
Was she even aware of your case?
OP don't take any chances. This is your baby, your life. So you need to make it clear that it's unacceptable. The consequences can be very serious. It doesn't matter whether it is the NHS or whether you pay a fortune for your care.
Sorry to sound so dramatic but it's just not ok.

I understand that the covid situation is all up and arms at the moment but still it doesn't kill to pick up the phone and have communication. I'm 24 weeks on Monday and I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a midwife apart from the one who did my 20 week scan almost a month ago. It's very depressing...

Here here @sunnysideup2020

You definitely do not sound ungrateful OP....
JUST KEEP PHONING THEM.
I'M GOING TO PHONE MYSELF ON MONDAY TO ASK WHEN I NEXT SHOULD BE SEEN OR PHONED.

@SunnySideUp2020 @PopsicleHustler I have put in a complaint. Obviously there’s nothing that can be done over the weekend so hopefully I will receive the call I’ve been promised on Monday. Regardless I will still be escalating things next week as the team is definitely not working the way it should be and I can only imagine how many others are in my position! I have been checking my own blood pressure every few days but obviously can’t test anything else myself at home so hopefully an appt will be available at the start of next week!

Genuinely curious, if you're high risk then why aren't you under consultant care?

@RWK29 good! I hope something can be done because just like you said other women are probably also being affected.
Let's hope you get an appointment on Monday and everything is ok 👌

@SadAndPregnant I’m really not sure if I’m honest. I’m classed as “high risk” due to a high BMI. I was told at booking appointment that I would be consultant led and would have appointments with the consultant and would have growth scans at 32/36/40 weeks. There is a consultants name on my notes but I’ve never seen her or had even a call from her and there are no contact details for her in my notes. When I had my bloods etc taken after my 12 week scan they done all my booking in measurements and took my blood pressure and said that because my BP was in the “perfect” range I would only be referred to the consultant if anything flagged up at my routine midwife appointments such as increase in BP or glucose in urine etc. That’s why I’ve been so concerned about not having routine midwife appts as regularly as I should be incase I should be seeing a consultant 😔 I have had a growth scan at 32 weeks and baby is measuring a bit big but not huge and I do have another one in just over a week so fingers crossed that one is fine too 🤞🏼

Well...Monday has come and gone and no call from the midwife as promised 😔 looks like another day on the phone complaining for me tomorrow 😴 really starting to get stressed out over this now!

How frustrating. I was hoping you'd all be sorted yesterday. Absolutely escalate, it's really not good enough.

In addition to making a complaint I would ring your hospital's maternity triage line today, explain the situation to them, tell them you are high risk and you need to be seen ASAP. It might be that you can go in to them, or that they can ensure someone calls you from the community team.

@Disappointedkoala @islandislandisland Thanks guys ❤️ I’m just off the phone to a lady who deals with all the community midwife teams in the area. She’s contacted my community midwives and asked them to contact me today as a matter of urgency and have me booked in for an appointment this week. She’s asked me to give them until 4pm today and if they haven’t called and sorted things out with me to call her straight back and she’ll escalate the situation further and make sure I’m seen by someone else.

There’s still a formal complaint being placed regardless but fingers crossed she’ll get it sorted today 🤞🏼😭

@RWK29
Sorry to hear they are still messing with you like this.
It's unbelievable.
I hope something gets done now that you have a point of contact for your complaint!
I second what @islandislandisland said about ringing triage if this is not successful.

@SunnySideUp2020 Thanks ❤️ I’m definitely not leaving it any later. Fingers crossed it’ll get sorted today now that this lady has taken over dealing with things but if not I’ll be calling triage to see if they can see me tomorrow for basic checks. I’m sure there must be loads of other pregnant women in my area having the same issues if this is the way the team is running 😔 I just don’t know any of them as there’s been no classes or anything to go to 🤷🏻‍♀️

Can't believe this, OP. Let us know how you get on. Am following with interest as I'm currently sat waiting for my booking in telephone appointment. 50 mins late... Hope this isn't a sign of things to come! Xx

@Greyhoundgirly Fingers crossed they’re just running late for you and it’s not a sign of things to come! My booking appointment was over the phone and they phoned 3 days early at a completely different time than arranged and just expected me to be free 🙈 lol

Nearly 3pm and still no call 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did you get sorted OP?

@islandislandisland After another half day of phone calls today they have now put me under the care of a new midwife who has already been on the phone and will be out to visit me at home on Friday afternoon to do all usual checks and go through all my birth preferences etc. My health visitor was also been on the phone to introduce herself an hour later and set up a home appointment for next week to introduce herself and explain what visits we’ll get after baby arrives 😊
Definitely still going ahead with a formal complaint but I’m very relieved that’s appointments hopefully sorted now 🤞🏼

Great news

Great news OP!