Trusts still using paper notes (or anything other than Badger)

[8dpwoah]

I am at my wits' end with my trust and seriously considering requesting changing as I approach my third trimester (I have been offered a choice both times, due to where I live, so it's not as random as it sounds). I am due to have conversation with someone next week but I don't think anything will change in time for me, I just believe if you don't speak up if you're in a position to do so then you leave other people open to having the same experience.

As one of my main issues is the switch to Badger notes which is just absolutely crap in my opinion (had a midwife appointment yesterday and the only thing logged is that I had my MATB1, bear in mind I am consultant-led too!). So to avoid outing myself too much if your trust still uses the wonder of simplicity and sense that is paper notes please could you share where it is if possible so I can see if there's one near me that does?

My other concerns are outing if you use the same trust as me but just for context:
The attached MLU has been closed since covid and they can't say when it will reopen but not before the Autumn, the main reason I chose this trust was the possibility of being in the award-winning MLU and it won't be available for me by the sounds of it. I didn't get there last time so understand the likelihood of using it isn't massive and I'm not wedded to a hypnotwinklywater birth, but if it's off the table completely due to operational factors then that's something I need to consider.

My trust bigs up the continuity of care model so imagine my surprise to turn up to my appointment yesterday and find I have a new midwife, which nobody told me, despite having an app that could do that for them. She was as lovely as the other one (it's a switch round not ill health or whatever so it's planned and foreseen change) but again undermine confidence in what the trust say vs what they do.

There's lots of other little things as well that have just completely dented my trust and confidence in this trust despite having a really good experience last time. I don't want to do frying pan/fire but I am concerned about the impact all these individual things might have on me and my baby going forward.

Well done if you got to the end of my ramble and if you've worked out where I am because you're in the same trust having the same problems, you have my sympathies!

Sorry to hear you’re having a bad time with your trust. Nothing beats good old fashioned paper notes. I loved coming home after my appointments and having a good read of what was written there. Also the attached MLU is absolutely brilliant (even though I didn’t get to use it in the end!) For context my trust is Tameside hospital (manchester area). Hope you get sorted OP x

Paper notes are great until their lost which happened to me.

I have paper notes in North Hertfordshire

I have paper notes in London but tbh there's nothing written in them! Every appt they write the same thing, seen today at xx location, see EPR (Electronic Patient Record) so i'm not sure what the point of the paper notes is!

I have paper notes! Scunthorpe. Sorry you're having a shit time with it all.

With online notes a lot will be on the main platform that only healthcare professionals can look at. They only give u a certain amount of access
My trust uses my chart and you can look at test results some times clinic letters and appointments

I had badgerbollocks for both of my pregnancies and it's terrible. It infuriates me that NHS money is spent on it when the patient interface is so dreadful. Plus it's different to what the medical staff see, so they don't know how bad it is, and can't help you find anything when you're scuppered.

It makes me so mad.

Also (going back a couple of years per covid) when I needed paper notes to have on me for travel abroad, it doesn't even have anything as basic as an export and print function.

Lack of the same midwife care is rife everywhere sadly and had only got worse since covid.

I'm in co Durham. I have both paper notes and badger notes. It's a pita because they want to look at both every time!

Mlu here is in the hospital anyway so Prob not what you are after. Sunderland has its mlu open in South shields but I don't know whether they are on paper still.

My local trust is Northumbria & they use only paper notes

I’m in the south west and my trust only use the paper notes. I love reading them after each appointment lol. The online stuff sounds awful.

I’m in Scotland so probably no help to you but just wanted you to know I share the frustration with badger notes 🤦🏼‍♀️ There’s virtually nothing on it. I get a scan and I want to check what baby’s estimated weight was or whatever, click the growth chart and there’s an error. Happens every time! A lot of my blood test results aren’t logged. I haven’t done a birth plan and they aren’t doing them face to face in clinic anymore at my hospital so guess where I’ve to input my birth plan? Oh yes, badger notes 😂 I’m a first time mum and having a section. Luckily I’ve spent way too much time researching it all so I happen to know a few of the choices but if you didn’t have a clue you wouldn’t be able to write anything in the boxes. Also meant to have appointments at 34, 36 and 38 but the 36 week one isn’t happening because of covid 🤷🏼‍♀️ I wanted to do colostrum harvesting but not going to see them again til 38 weeks so just going to have to figure it out myself. I thought when you were pregnant you got all these appointments and they checked you constantly but it would appear not 🙈

@sarah13xx ring up to arrange collection of the syringes.... Wish I did as doing it enough in advance would have helped me so much and my baby. DO NOT WAIT.

Oh you're all so far away 😭 but thank you all so much for replying to my shout out! The MLU is attached to the hospital here but they were using it as the covid birthing unit (fair enough) and now it seems to have been mothballed. The continuity doesn't bother me, I trust any midwife to look after us, but it just pissed me off they make a big song and dance about it then don't even bother letting you know that they've had a restructure.

Glad to hear the professional end of the record keeping is better than the patient-facing as at least that means it's in the hands of the developer/contract holder to fix it. I was worried stuff wasn't being recorded or was going out into the ether never to be seen again!

Going to contact the trust next door this afternoon and see what's what with them.

@sarah13xx if you want to crack on with your colostrum you can get a box of 1ml syringes on Amazon really cheap then you just kind of have to squeeze the boob and catch the drip directly into the syringe, so glamourous 😂 I bet there's better explanations out there but that's all I did then when I'd got a few I put them in a freezer bag with the date the first one was collected.

West Herts here - they've been brilliant. Good luck OP!

I don't have paper notes and no idea how to access any online ones either. Tbh not at all bothered, it's baby 6 and if I have questions they are answered.

@8dpwoah @Hijokp yeah I’ve just ordered some syringes myself and watched some YouTube videos on it. Just wanted to at least have a conversation with them about it but I’ll give it a go and see 🙈

I'm in Buckinghamshire and have paper notes, have also seen the same midwife all the way through so far (32 weeks). My next appt will be with a different one but only as she's away on holiday. Can't fault the care so far.... but not had baby yet so can't comment on the birth bit!