I can't get through to the community midwife team

[custardcream1000]

Hi everyone,

I am 11 weeks pregnant and I have still not had a booking appointment or a scan booked as it is impossible to get through to the community midwife team.

The phone number (provided by GP and advertised on their website) just rings out and there is no option to leave a voice message. After trying over 10 times again today, I've given up and sent an email to Pals explaining the situation and asking if they can please book me in for a scan.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? If so, how did you manage to get in touch with someone? This is my 4th pregnancy and I've never had this issue before so I assume it's due to covid. It's making me slightly concerned about the care I will get in this pregnancy.

We have self referal via the hospital website at our trust. The midwife team are often out most of the day at different venues so only have a small call window in the morning (unless you drop lucky at other times). I would contact your GP and ask them if they can help you get a booking app sorted if you still can't get in direct contact tomorrow.

I had challenges with my booking appointment. Try the main hospital switchboard and your GP. Keep trying.

I’ve had a frustrating time OP. In the end the GP receptionist gave me the number for a senior midwife for my area and she’s been great. My midwife did the booking in appointment. Forgot our follow on appt for my blood tests which had already been rearranged once at her convenience and not put in a request for a scan which fortunately head midwife picked up on as otherwise we wouldn’t have been scanned and tested in time to have the tests for edwards and downs syndrome etc. Unfortunately in order to get it in before 14 weeks we have to go to a hospital miles out the way rather than either of our more local hospitals. I’d ring the GP surgery and see if they can give you any details. I’ve requested a different midwife as a result. I understand the pressures of Covid being a key worker myself but it’s no reason for the quality of service to disappear

@custardcream1000 I had the exact same issues; GP gave me a number for the community midwife, rang out & no option to leave a message. After 2 weeks called my GP back to be told 'nothing we can do' I asked if they could make any suggestions of where else I could try (FTM) and was told 'no'.

I wouldn't even bother calling your GP back; if they're like mine they've washed their hands of maternity care for the time being.

As PP say; if you think you'd know where you'd like to give birth (you can google 'NHS Choices' and it brings up the new website (which used to be NHS Choices) where you can look at reviews of local hospitals, ratings, info on facilities etc and contact them direct to see if you can refer yourself directly to their midwife team.

If you don't have the first clue (I didn't) then email NHS England (or Wales/ Scotland) and tell them you can't get through and ask them to help you get a midwife - I had one within 48 hours of emailing them; they were brilliant.

Good Luck with it all & sorry you fell through the gap too - things are a bit in the air with COVID xxx

I’ve had/am having the same problem. The community midwives number rings out and on their answer machine it specifically says don’t leave a message.
Currently trying to get hold of antenatal reception to clarify details of my midwife apt today and it’s user busy every time!

I work in a hospital so completely understand how busy they are but it’s been really difficult to get through to anyone at all.

I actually miscarried last year and the fact it was so difficult to get through to anyone then made the whole experience even more stressful. I put that down to covid and being extra busy but this time round it’s exactly the same. So frustrating :(

@Dazedandconfused170 It's so frustrating isn't it? I had awful struggles last year... was told by my GP (through phone consultation and no face to face) that I was miscarrying and just to sit it out at home. Was given a date that "if I was still bleeding or in pain in 2 weeks" to call back for an urgent referral. Spent two days in 45 minute queues to speak to the dr's surgery only to be told they were too busy to refer me. I then tried to ring EPU directly, but they wouldn't speak to me as I needed to be referred. I ended up ringing 111 in tears asking how on earth I got to be seen by a medical professional...! I ended up having to go to the local MIU and sit and wait for hours to be seen by a dr, who couldn't do anything but could at least register my referral. By the time I finally got to EPU, my ectopic pregnancy had ruptured and I was rushed straight to surgery.

Dramatic... but to this day, I'm so p**sed off that it was SO hard to speak to anyone!

So I've been like a sledgehammer in this pregnancy. Rang my GP and the community midwives office daily until the midwife eventually got in touch with my EPU referral to check it wasn't ectopic etc.
I would say keep badgering your GP if you can't get hold of the midwives office. Have you been asked to self register online? I had to email paperwork across and got an automated response that they would be in touch before 10 weeks. (However, because I've had previous complications, I needed an EPU referral, so I just kept ringing them to remind them!)

Sorry you had to go through that! :(
Yea I guess being persistent is key, it’s tricky when it’s not necessarily urgent but I definitely don’t feel like I could just call up and ask a general question lol. It is my first proper pregnancy so I’m just kinda going along with it but was curious to see whether it was just my hospital that was difficult to get through to or not

I know how you feel - you don't want to be a pain! Although because my last pregnancy ended in such a sh** show, I felt less concerned about that this time around! ;-)
I would say if it's not urgent, best bet is to speak to your GP. Probably once you get registered with the midwife, she'll give you her contact details. (Hilariously, my midwife's mobile number hasn't changed since I had my first 4 years ago...!) But she was like any issues, drop me a text and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!