What shall i do?

[Fuschia]

Smiler, I did go into the antenatal clinic at kings at 10w on the advice of the EPU but they said they couldn't book me as Lanes would be! According to their records as the Lanes had referred me for my NT scan that meant I would be with the Lanes. Then I wait 3w and the Lanes send me a letter saying they are assuming I'm declining care. Then they ignore all my phone messages saying I am not declining care at all.

I don't really see that they have any excuse. I was starting to get a bit cross even before I had the accident and needed urgent advice.

My haematologist has now referred me direct to Leonie Penna (as he did last time) and I expect I will get an appt with her in due course, but TBH I didn't want to be under Kings, I wanted to be on the list of the community midwives at my own GPs, who I saw at 5 weeks and seem to have made a total hash of things. It is just ridiculous that not only have the Lanes failed to see me personally (and as far as I can see just ignore messages left on their answerphone!) but by doing the initial scan referral, that meant the Kings antenatal couldn't help me even when the EPU gave me a letter suggesting they see me in the special clinic for women with clotting issues.

Madness.

[Smiler]

What a nightmare and mess! Just makes no sense does it.

[Pickle]

What a shocker, it's so sad that these days we can't have faith in systems that should be there to help us. Fuschia, I'm so glad all's OK with the little one, what a relief. Sorry I didn't have time to stop and chat this morning, was rushing off to do my teaching thing at school.

P xx

[Fuschia]

I have made a complaint about the Lanes and a complaint about the receptionist at the EPU in a rather Victor Meldrew like fashino and just getting it off my chest has made me feel better.

I have already had a swift and kind response from the Head of Community Midwifery though I doubt my confidence can be rebuilt now.

[buggie]

Might be worth contacting Yvonne Menka (0207 346 3528 is the number in my notes but it may be 0203 299 3528 as they changed the main hospital number a while back).

In my mat notes it talks about contacting her if you want to change your care - may help get over problem of the Lanes having booked your inital NT scan. x

[Fuschia]

Thanks everybody...

[sb]

.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Fuschia,

it sounds like you've been through a distressing 48 hours:(. I hope that you manage to get things sorted . I' m one of the councillors representing Peckham Rye Ward, and if there is anything I can do to help, please contact me.:)

Cllr Renata Hamvas

Labour Councillor for Peckham Rye Ward

[email protected]

07535932319

[Fuschia]

An update from me, the supervisor of midwives at Kings has been to see me at home and I am now booked in with Kings (at 17.5w pregnant!)

But I am going to have my birth with independent midwives, having totally lost confidence in the Lanes.

My formal complaint to the PCT will take up to 28 working days to process.

[Emski]

Hope that you're feeling better, Fuschia. Something very similar happened with my pregnancy a year and a half ago when I thought I was booked in with DMC and they neglected to tell me they were full! Hence I waited 18 weeks before seeing a midwife... (scans were organised directly with Kings somehow).

I also had early bleeding on and off for several weeks, so was pretty stressed. We went directly to the EPU at Kings, and the doc who scanned me (twice) was lovely.

I wish you all the best with the pregnancy, and am happy to tell you I'm now the mum of a gorgeous 1-yr-old. But bleeding is of course worrying and DMC/Lanes have acted pretty negligently in my view.

I also complained formally, writing to head of midwifery, head of community midwives and DMC practice manager. Got a concerned-sounding response from the first, putting the lack of communication down to teething probs with the new system at DMC - but don't think that can still be the case 18 months on!

If you haven't already done so, may be worth getting your name down on the waiting lists of other midwifery practices? I was keen on having a home birth and was lucky to get in with the Brierly with a few months to go. They were absolutely fantastic, and I'm still in touch with the lovely midwife I saw.

Well done for complaining - you've clearly been receiving substandard care. I hope the Lanes can somehow get their act together and, of course, that you can put this bad start behind you and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

Good luck! x

[Fuschia]

Emski Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hope that you're feeling better, Fuschia.

> Something very similar happened with my pregnancy

> a year and a half ago when I thought I was booked

> in with DMC and they neglected to tell me they

> were full! Hence I waited 18 weeks before seeing a

> midwife...

Worrying that a similar thing happened to you (and to a third person who sent me a private message!)

[Jamma]

Please don't take this the wrong way but if you're going to discuss such things on a public forum I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to ask - where was/is your partner during all this?

[Fuschia]

Jamma Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Please don't take this the wrong way but if you're

> going to discuss such things on a public forum I

> don't think it's entirely unreasonable to ask -

> where was/is your partner during all this?

What do you mean?

[Jamma]

Simply that. You've clearly had a dreadful time but you seem to be dealing with it alone. For example you said you were alone with your twins, why couldn't your partner help you? He or she is presumably at least 50% responsible for getting you in the condition you're in and indeed for creating your other children so I simply wondered why he or she didn't get a mention in the account of your trauma. I accept that to a great extent I'm asking only out of curiosity. But like I said, if you're going to publish your story on a public forum it doesn't seem unreasonable to ask questions about it. (I was going to say question it but I'm not questioning it at all just asking a question about it, let me make that clear)

[prdarling]

Jamma

I don't get the relevance of where Fuschia's husband was. She's talking about the failings of the DMC.

Whether her husband was away on business/at work/elsewhere doesn't seem pertinent to the dicussion. Clearly it was made more difficult by the fact she was alone with 3 small children at this specific time, but surely the point is about what the midwives did/didn't do?

If her husband had been there the situation would have been identical just with additional support/childcare. I think you have missed the point

[Fuschia]

Between 12-15 weeks while I was waiting for my booking in appointment and getting increasingly frustrated about the letter they sent and their failure to call me back, I did mutter to him about it but he didn't pay much attention..like many (most?) dads he doesn't come to antenatal appts, only scans...

On the morning when I started bleeding, he had gone to work and I couldn't initially get through to him (left a message on his mobile) and I was concentrating on trying to speak to the midwives, then the drs receptionist, then then got a call from the emergency GP... then I was trying to arrange someone to watch the twins...(DS1 was at school) then I dashed off to Kings.. all that took about 2 hours and I'd been therejust over an hour when he called me back... by then it wasn't worth him coming down as I was about to be seen.

But as PRD says.. what difference does it make? Admittedly he probably would have had a bit of a shout at someone or another, I suppose...

[Fuschia]

When you've had twins you get used to going to hospital appts alone.. for a long time I was at Kings weekly for scans, haematology etc and by the very end, pretty much every day... doesn't mean Mr F isn't concerned, just not practical for him to be there the whole time...

[The Nappy Lady]

Agree F, my DH couldn't always be with me during scans / recurrent miscarriages etc. He would have been if he could, but it isn't always that simple.

Really don't think it was a relevant or appropriate question.

Molly

[Vanessa3]

Hi Fuuschia,

The Lanes are great midwives once you are on their radar. I moved to ED mid-way through my last pregnancy & wasn't really on anyone's pre-natal care. The Lanes were fully booked & Kings could only fit me in if someone cancelled, so my GP at DMC saw me every 2 weeks from 30 weeks on. I am also 15 weeks into baby number 2 & cant imagine how stressful your past 24 hours must have been.

The Lanes midwives are community based & out seeing patients most days, so unless you are on their radar, getting hold of one of them can be tricky. Once you do get registered & allocated a midwife, she will give you all the contact details (including pager no.) so this kind of thing will not happen during the rest of your pregancy.

Good luck & take care of yourself.

[The Nappy Lady]

Still keen for you to call Brierley as I know they would give you the care you need.

xx

[Fuschia]

I have received an interesting mail from the supervisor of midwives which I will post separately