Help with the maternity team

[sas94]

Hiya, I was wondering if anyone works on a maternity ward on here that can help me?

I referred myself to the maternity team a few weeks ago and I got a phone call today (after having one missed call 5 minutes before) from the midwife team saying i missed an appointment, but i never received a appointment via phone, letter or email so I'm super confused.

At some point today before they got through to me, they called my dad telling him that I have missed an appointment, (his number isn't down on my referral but he is my emergency contact and next of kin so I think that's how they got his number) my dad doesn't know I'm pregnant yet and I am really worried that they have told him. He hasn't said anything but he's the type to just keep quiet until I say something. Are they allowed to do that? Or will they just call to say I've missed an appointment?

Thanks so much in advance I'm just super anxious about this!

I think you’d need to ask them…

Theoretically they shouldn’t have said anything to your dad, because he’s not the patient - but they also shouldn’t have called him.

Whether they’ve let it slip would depend on what they said - I had a call from the antenatal team this morning and they couldn’t get through to me, so called my husband. They didn’t give him details, just asked him to get me to call them, but they did say it was “Helen from the antenatal team at XXX hospital”.

I’m sorry you didn’t get the appointment details, and that they called your Dad. I’d be phoning tomorrow to query the appointment, and what they said to your Dad exactly, and then to clarify your next of kin and who, if anyone, they can contact if they need you.

I hope you’re alright

@TakeYourFinalPosition

I think you’d need to ask them…

Theoretically they shouldn’t have said anything to your dad, because he’s not the patient - but they also shouldn’t have called him.

Whether they’ve let it slip would depend on what they said - I had a call from the antenatal team this morning and they couldn’t get through to me, so called my husband. They didn’t give him details, just asked him to get me to call them, but they did say it was “Helen from the antenatal team at XXX hospital”.

I’m sorry you didn’t get the appointment details, and that they called your Dad. I’d be phoning tomorrow to query the appointment, and what they said to your Dad exactly, and then to clarify your next of kin and who, if anyone, they can contact if they need you.

I hope you’re alright

Thank you for this advice. I'll definitely call them. Just a bit confused as to why they would give out private news especially so early in my pregnancy. Very frustrating but thank you for your kind words xxx

Bloody Hell! Unless you've given specific permission for them to discuss your case with your next of kin/family/contact person, that's a massive breach of confidentiality.

I'd be bloody tamping, and would be reporting them to PALS unless it was genuinely something life or death that excused it.

Crikey I'd be complaining. It's not acceptable to tell anyone on your behalf, even passively by saying where they are calling from. It's also a little OTT to be contacting your next of kin just because you missed a call!!

The NHS is notorious for informing patients of appointments after the appointment slot so you may well get a letter tomorrow informing you of your telephone app!

How far along are you. you usually don't get an appt til 8-10 weeks. this all sounds like a massive error. if you've missed an appt why are they calling your dad...your dad's number is there for emergencies only e.g. if you collapse in the middle of an appointment....not to berate you for missing an appointment.

Whole thing is odd and i would query it and even escalate if neccessary.

I think you should ask your dad what they said (even if it means telling him you're pregnant).

It's possible the reason they called him was in case you'd had an early miscarriage. I was late for dc3s 12 week scan and had loads of missed calls from the midwifery team worried about me by the time I got there. It was mental - I don't have a history of depression/anything so I was a bit bemused.

Put in a freedom of information request to find out what they said to your Dad. Obviously the call won't be recorded, but there'll be a note of it. Only thing is by the time you get it you'll be through your first trimester so perhaps you can just ask your Dad then?

@IAmWomxxnHearMeRoar they have 20 working days to reply to an FOI request. so won't be that useful

I had a phone call saying I missed my appoitement ; didn't even know about it...turned out they had some mixed up with the dates and I wasn't the only one.
I'm 14 weeks now, and haven't received any call or letter to any of my appoitement. The 8 weeks I had to beg them to give me one, and I had to call the hospital for the 12 weeks one as they didn't book it for me. Now I'm gonna have to call for the 16 week appoitement, again, as nothing booked yet. My midwife also never answers a phone or calls back. I complain all the time but I don't think they care....

@Tina8800
Why not register with another hospital? Appreciate this is not ideal and may not be practical depending on where you live.
I'm based in London, and there's a mat hospital 5 mins walk from where I live but no way am I going there :).

Thank you for your advice everyone. I really appreciate it. I've finally got a midwife appointment, and I'll definitely be asking her what was said to my dad as im not happy at all. I would rather stay at this hospital as its so close to me! Xx

@IAmWomxxnHearMeRoar

Put in a freedom of information request to find out what they said to your Dad. Obviously the call won't be recorded, but there'll be a note of it. Only thing is by the time you get it you'll be through your first trimester so perhaps you can just ask your Dad then?

FOI is for public sector information, not personal info.

That’s a Subject Access Request.