The NHS is just unbelievable :(

Samisit · 02-06-2009, 03:42 PM

After 6 days of bad bleeding and 3 days of bad cramping i had to go to A&E to find out if my fears were confirmed.
My midwife did not want to know and my GP said she thought it could be but there was nothing she could do.

I just feel numb right now.
But i am so angry at the NHS for not having the budget to even scan me to see what was going on.
They wouldn't even take bloods even when i beg for them, she kindly explained that there was just not the budget in the A&E department to do these test that were out of the normal!!

So with no ultrasound, no internal examination, i've just been given her opinion that it is over.
I also asked if there was a private clinic i could attend for a scan instead. But there are none here in Plymouth, England. I think the closest is about 60 miles away if not more.

So is it just crazy that they just dont have the facilities and money to scan to see if there is still a heartbeat!!!

I would have been 8 weeks tomorrow.
And this is my second early m/c.
I will have to go through another one for the NHS to take this seriously and do any investigations !!

Sorry to vent

AnotherDreamer · 02-06-2009, 03:54 PM

I'm so sorry hun. Big (*HUGS*)

siany22 · 02-06-2009, 04:02 PM

im so sorry, im in the uk too so i know what you mean bout NHS being crap!

Anonykat · 02-06-2009, 04:17 PM

I just pray to God we never get socialized medicine here. I'm so sorry that you went through that. Do you have a car, to be able to get to the private clinic? That must be horrible, to just be sent on your way and not know.

Brianna Mc · 02-06-2009, 04:20 PM

You poor thing thats terrible the way you have been treated. I'm from N.Ireland and I had a miscarriage in December and I had the oposite experience from you. I went to my GP and told her I thought I was having a miscarriage and explained what was happening and she rang the hospital straight away and they were waiting for me and scanned me there and then, but unfortunately there were no heartbeat but it was still early for me as I was only pregant 5 weeks 4 days. So I went on home to rest but the bleeding got worse and the pains were terrible and I rang the hospital again and they told me to come in and to bring an overnite bag with me and it was the end for me and my baby. They were brilliant with me and my husband. You should never have been treated that way. Pregnancy is a difficult enough time and very worrying without having little or no support from your medical team. I hope something good happens for you and that you will get sorted.

take care,

Brianna

Eva37 · 02-06-2009, 06:15 PM

i am sorry

qsmom · 02-07-2009, 12:45 AM

So sorry. There is nothing like having the evidence at hand to begin to understand/accept what is happening. It must be horrible to have been left in the lurch like that. Prayers and good thoughts coming your way.
I just lost twins at 8wks, it seemed so unreal, I found out Friday and they scanned me again Monday, just so I could be sure, I couldn't consent to a d&c w/o having that second scan. Now I know I'm really lucky to have been able to do that.

peggy_98 · 02-08-2009, 12:26 AM

i'm so sorry

~*~Michelle~*~ · 02-08-2009, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anonykat

I just pray to God we never get socialized medicine here. I'm so sorry that you went through that. Do you have a car, to be able to get to the private clinic? That must be horrible, to just be sent on your way and not know.

My thoughts exactly. I am so sorry you had to go through that.

Purple_monkfish · 02-08-2009, 09:10 AM

I'm so so sorry! They did this to me last time as well. Went to A&E nievely expecting a scan or at least a blood test and was refused. Stupid sodding NHS.

Only reason I got scanned with my first m/c is that they were worried it might have been ectopic because I was in a lot of pain in one side. As it was, my second scan with that was done in silence, was excrutiatingly painful (internal scan) and then I was ushered into a room to be hidden from everyone else while I sobbed my guts out. While I was still in this state, a concent form was shoved in front of me and a pen... I couldn't even READ the bloody thing, I was physically shaking yet they STILL insisted I sign this concent form for a D&C the next day.
Eugh.. how proffessional is that? I mean honestly. As if you make someone who's in shock and grieving sign something they're in no state to read or make sense of? Couldn't they have waited!?
Thankfully ( I suppose) I had to go to london the next day so the surgury was delayed. I passed everything naturally the day before I travelled back home.

I foudn the NHS to be unsympathetic, brisk, cold and totally and utterly unhelpful. No-one told me how long i'd bleed for, no-one told me what to expect, I was just left to get on with it. I was offered no emotional support at all. It was horrible. Second time round, everything was just managed at home. At least the second time was early enough that I didn't then continue to RECIEVE MIDWIFE APPOINTMENTS. ARG.
For MONTHS I got letters from the midwife saying I had an appointment or from various places for 3d ultrasounds or bounty packs etc etc.
Talk about pouring salt in a wound yes? I was outraged that the hospital had not actually bothered to inform my GP and midwife. I had to call the midwife and scream at her to leave me alone already. Eugh.

I honestly hope you don't have to go through that level of incompetence but do be warned, it's not uncommon on the NHS. The different branches don't actually talk to eachother. Last time, the hospital hadn't even bothered to fax my gp to tell him i'd m/c, I had to go in and tell him myself. How fair is that?

I'm now waiting for a refferral to a gyno for investigation. My preexisting conditions make it slightly (but not much) more likely they'll see me after only two m/c in a row (the three rule is stupid). Last time I went to this guy however, they sent me to the freaking L&D unit!???? There was me, worried I was infertile, sat in a hospital amongst several heavily pregnant women awaiting scans or midwife appointments. Oh yeah, cheers NHS, that's great for my mental well being. Oh yes, I feel so so at ease. Grrr.

I'm so so sorry for your loss and even more sorry that yet another person has been jerked around by the NHS. I hope your area isn't as useless as they are up here in Yorkshire. The temptation to go to London and just see a private doctor for £270 a pop is sorely tempting, let me tell you.

PinaColada · 02-17-2009, 10:32 PM

Sorry for your losses ladies, i was in a similar position with the NHS. I was offered a take it or leave it D&C but at the time i had no clue what was happening to me and i didnt even know what a D&C was. I had to come home and research everything on the internet. I didnt know what to expect from either option. I got re scanned the following week incase the baby had developed as it was an early scan after fertilty meds. In the end i felt forced into the operation - looking back it was the wrong descion for me i just went along with what the professionals were telling me. I got sent to the maternity unit full of crying babies ( i thought i was going to a general ward) and the staff were not very nice or helpful and they kept talking about the babies in the ward etc, totally inappropiate. They even tried to send me home on the operation day saying it was still early days and things could change etc, they had to phone my clinic to confirm that i had had 2 scans confirming that it was a blighted ovum etc. that was very distressing.They were going to send me home with no pain relief, i had to keep asking about it. When i went to see the fertilty specialist a few weeks later he was very blase - these things happen/my wife had 3 blighted ovums, i found the whole thing very insensitive. He asked me if i comfort ate after it and i told him no im watching my weight for re starting the meds and he said good because a lot of his patients comfort eat afterwards and it does no good, i was under 13 stone so hardly that much of an issue esp at such a distressing time. My worry is that i get preg again and if i took a miscarriage that i started bleeding with - do u report it to someone? All i here of is that they get sent home from the hospital,no one seems interested etc, the nhs is a total joke. Also when u do finally get preg there seems a total lack of suport in this department as well, lack of mid wife appointments and in my area you only get 1 scan - you choose either your 12 wk or your 20 wk, it is getting beyond a joke

Purple_monkfish · 02-21-2009, 08:33 PM

I got two scans with ds. One emergancy scan at 10 weeks (the secret is, go to A&E complaining of abdominal pain mwhahaha, they send you for an early scan to check for ectopic. What? I feel no shame manipulating the system, it's a crappy system) and one at 22 weeks. I think that they SHOULD give two, one dating scan and one anatomy scan. Least, that's what the NHS direct website says. Must depend on the area.

Pina> I'm so so sorry you had to deal with the insensitivity. Write a letter to their complaints department, you should NOT have been treated like that. It's incopentence and you should complain! Hell, I very nearly complained when I got sent to the maternity ward to look into my ammonorhea. Now i'm going back next month to look into miscarriages. Eugh.. it's gonna SUCK.
You should have been put on a general ward or with other women who'd just had D&Cs, you should NOT have been put with mothers and babies. that's just unacceptable. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...complaints.htm

To be honest, I fear nothing will change unless more of us stand up for ourselves and kick up a stink. I plan on making quite a scene next month at the maternity hospital, oh yes. I'm fed up of the NHS walking all over me, i'm gonna holler from rooftops if I have to. I may even punch the first nurse who asks me when i'm due. I think my partner will have to take the day off and come with me, just to stop me actually attacking the smokers standing outside in their hospital gowns heh. Oh i'm becoming seriously bitter and insane thanks to the NHS.

Speaking of going on with what the "proffessional" tell you. Many years back, I went off the pill because it made me feel sick as a dog. Well, of course I started to bleed... and bleed.. and bleed. After 4 weeks of non stop moderate flow, I went to the doctor for help. They wrote a perscription for progesterone and being nieve and trusting as I was, I took the pills. Hah, the moderate to light bleeding turned to heavy flooding. I ended up in A&E certain I was hemhoraging internally. They couldn't find anything wrong with me though, I was in terrible pain and loosing a lot of blood so they wrote a letter to my doctor saying they should refer me to a specialist.
I returned to the doctor after the bleeding stopped (I furthur 10 days) and they not only ignored the note, the doctor actually tossed it in the bin in front of me. Then they told me to try a different bcp, that might work. I refused, went to see a different doctor who explained that upon going off the pill, it's not uncommon to start bleeding. The LAST thing you should do, is take progesterone which only makes matters worse. SO WHY DID THEY GIVE ME PROGESTERONE PILLS!??? Eugh.. imbeciles.
Suffice to say, i've never trusted a single thing an NHS doctor has told me since. I double check all meds before I take them by searching online (they never tell you what the drugs the perscribe actually are do they?) and I always double check interactions, i've been given stuff before that's not good to take with met and the doctors know i'm on met!
I remember, when I was pregnant the first time, the doctor/specialist they sent me to informed me that I couldn't have PCOS because "Only overweight women have pcos and only fat people get diabetes"
riiiiight... of couuurse.

toota · 02-22-2009, 02:14 PM

Samisit: I'm so sorry for your loss.

I can't even begin to explain how angry I am reading all of your posts. I hate the NHS. It's ridiculous.

I have an appointment next week about getting some surgery for my crappy malfunctioning reproductive system. Guess where? Maternity ward.