Booking in appointment in person in hospital

[Alyosha]

I'm 14 weeks pregnant and so far been having my scans privately. I sent off the self referral form last Monday after receiving normal NIPT results, and presumably as 14 weeks is a little later than usual the hospital got back to me very quickly and offered a booking appointment for this Saturday, at the hospital. I looked at the hospital's website (Homerton) and it says that the booking appointment is usually over telephone - I'd really rather avoid getting on public transport and going into a hospital with 000s of Covid patients if I can possibly avoid it. Does anyone know if I can get the bloods done at my GP and just have the appointment over the phone? They've already booked my 20 week scan for me so that's all sorted...

I had my booking bloods done at a GP surgery (not my own), the midwives here bounce around different venues. I would give them a call and explain your concern to see if they can offer an alternative.
Tbh though you will have to go to the hospital for some appointments regardless during your pregnancy. They do keep the maternity side of things separate from the general hospital so you should be at low risk anyway.

I'll definitely have to go there for the 20 week scan - but hoping in 6 weeks time case load will be much lower. And sadly the antenatal department means walking through the A&E waiting room in this hospital, or at least that's my memory!

My booking appointment with Homerton was with a community midwife at a local surgery.

I would be surprised if they let you do it at a random GP because the care doesn't overlap so I'm not sure your GP would do it when it isn't their role.
Are you sure they haven't booked it at Homerton because they plan to do a scan since you won't have had an NHS 12 week one?

Homerton felt very safe, there is a guy on the door who refuses entry to anyone who doesn't have an appointment letter so the number of people there is very controlled. You aren't going to be anywhere close to covid patients.

@Alyosha Just to add, you definitely don't go through the A&E waiting room to get to the antenatal or fetal medicine bit. I was there just under 4 weeks ago.

She just said it was through the main entrance, my memory is that the main entrance is adjacent to the A&E waiting room, but last time I was there I was in the throes of labour, so memory not super reliable! Pleased to hear that I am wrong about that. Last time I had all my appointments at home through the sadly now defunct Neighbourhood midwives scheme - so spoilt.

Pretty sure GP can send off bloods marked as maternity bloods - or at least send me somewhere to get them done.

I had my booking in appt at hospital - it was the maternity section, had a separate entrance, separate waiting room and all spaced out etc. The community midwives had been kicked out of the local GP surgeries cos the GPs wanted to reduce footfall. Seems a little crazy to send pregnant women to main hospitals but I guess we are (statistically) less vulnerable to becoming seriously ill with covid than the elderly / CEV (who still need to access the GP surgeries). With this in mind I’m not sure your GP would be prepared to do your bloods (and you will need a urine test).
Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Thanks! Thing is, being inside, no matter how spaced out you are, makes it easier for covid to spread. I rang them up this afternoon and they said that they had been doing telephone appointments for booking in but had stopped now - if they could do it before I'm sure they could do it again. Might just cancel it and just combine 20 week scan and booking in & get bloods and urine test privately.

Update - cancelled booking appointment, have booked 20 week scan privately as Homerton won't give me a 20 week scan without seeing a midwife first, will book in after that.

@Alyosha

Update - cancelled booking appointment, have booked 20 week scan privately as Homerton won't give me a 20 week scan without seeing a midwife first, will book in after that.

Are you going to a proper private healthcare clinic or like a window to the womb style place?

Proper clinic with diagnostic 20 week scan & CQC registered

@Alyosha

Proper clinic with diagnostic 20 week scan & CQC registered

Glad you found an option that makes you more comfortable!