Self refer to midwife not registered with GP?

[babynelly2010]

Hello,
we recently found out we are pregnant, 5 weeks now. My new GP arranged appointment with the nurse to register in about 2 weeks. Can I just self refer myself to the near by hospital even though I don't have a GP? My near by hospital has self-refer system but I wont have my doctor's name on the form just a clinic name/address as it is still pending. Is it OK? Will they take me?

Why do you want to refer yourself to the hospital? The GP will do that in due course and you have weeks and weeks before you're due a scan.

The first booking in appointment with the MW isn't until about 8 weeks so you have loads of time to wait (me too, I'm five weeks also).

If there is something wrong then definitely chase up the appointment, otherwise there is just so much waiting involved in pregnancy

Goodluck with everything

I want to self-refer myself to antenatal care in my near by hospital because this is my first pregnancy and I want to make sure to get with the midwife early on. I am very healthy and would not normally register with GP unless i have to... now I have to I guess . I was hoping to just deal with a midwife, but sounds like it is not possible.
Thank you for all your feedback.

You will actually be seeing the midwife at the GP practice for most contacts. In most pregnancies we only go to the hospital for scans and maybe two or three other appointments - unless there are complications.
There is actually precious little a midwife can do right now to keep you healthy. Have you stopped smoking, using any drugs not ok in pregnancy, cut down on alcohol and possibly caffeine and started taking folic acid? If so that's about it for now!

that makes sense. Thank you!

I have one more comment actually
This is what my hospital offers for the first time moms in terms of antenatal care
www.whittington.nhs.uk/default.asp?c=6988&t=1,151,6980
It sounds fantastic, will my GP be able to provide me with that?

That sounds pretty standard IME.

Seeing a GP is not essential and very few GPs do routine antenatal care to be honest; they tend to see you initially to refer you to the hospital consultant/midwife then see you for your postnatal check afterwards!

It will vary between areas but generally nobody does much at all until about 8-10 weeks pregnant and your GP is often primarily a gatekeeper to NHS provision when you're pregnant.

Most of the appointments on there are done in your GP surgery, only booking in and scan and occasionally one or two ante-natal appointments are done at the hospital. You will get a midwife assigned to you from your surgery who will do all the urine tests etc.
The only reason all that would be carried out in a hospital would be if you are consultant led, if you are healthy and there are no problems you will be midwife led.

This is in my experience anyway, I was consultant led for my 1st and was at the hospital every 2-4 weeks, with this one I am midwife led and will go for next scan in a week, and then I won't be seen till 36 weeks in the hospital.

Should have said by a midwife in your gp surgery, not by your gp. I only saw my gp to confirm pregnancy (which is policy in the surgery), then I was referred to midwife, and then midwife reffered me to hospital for scan and booking.

Thank you all again for clarifying... I am clear on all except one thing. Why do hospital maternity offer to self refer?
Sorry for so many questions, this is all complicated to me as I've never been pregnant and I am new to NHS system as well

Not sure, it could be for people, who move to the area later on in pregnancy and need to get in quickly if they haven't got a a GP. Or it could be for people visiting from other areas who have problems etc.

Not 100% sure sorry.

Once you start having your ante-natal appts, you may find they are in your local SureStart facility, or your GPs, or even in the hospital (all depends on how things are set up in your area).
You will get the same level of care and attention, just might be a different building.
Good luck with your pregnancy!

the link provided is very standard care. in my area there are two hospitals very close together, so if you originally are with one, then you can then self refer to another one, if you sww what i mean, as you may prefer one over the other. usually the hospital where you have your scans is the hospital where you give birth.

the 1st midwife appointment is usually at the gp surgery with the community midwife, and then again at 16 weeks after the 12 week scan they either see you at home, or again at the surgery.

The first my GP has ever known about me being pg was me tipping up with baby in tow for 6 week check.

I self referred to the hospital because my gp referral got lost. I have never seen a midwife at my gps always at the hospital but I do have a complicated medical history.

my hospital is out of area though in that I go to a hospital in central london and live in nw london so I think that has some bearing.

have never been booked in till 9 weeks by a midwife though so you have plenty of time eother way

All our ante natal care is done at the GPs surgery by the midwives. You don't see the Gp but you do have to
be registered with the practice. You only go to the hospital if you have serious problems.
Booking isn't until 12 weeks so in our area what you're proposing to do would be a jumbo waste of time.

I self referred because the GP 'forgot' to refer me. I would do it yourself, then at least you know its done. You can also have more choice over when you have the scan if you book early.