These archives contain posts from the UK Midwives and Consumers email list, a discussion group for people interested in midwifery in the UK. All are welcome to join the group. Posts in these archives express the views of the individual authors, and not those of the Association of Radical Midwives.
Do you HAVE to see a GP to be referred to a MW??? My SIL doesn't want to
see a GP and would rather go straight through her CMs. She has just moved GPs
and they refuse to give her the number to contact them. She called the local
hosp to ask for their contact numbers and they all said she couldn't contact
them directly she would have to make an appointment to see her GP first. She
is 14 weeks and would like to see them soon as this is her first baby and as
yet she has seen no one except her old GP and a booking app at 8 weeks at a
local hosp which is no longer in her area. I have always contacted the MWs directly
so does this vary from area to area???
I assumed we had the right to contact MWs directly.
C
Yes, you do, but it is true that you sometimes have to educate what seems like
the entire health care system along the way. She might get better results if
she asks for the number of the Head of Midwifery.
Je
She does, but they don't make it at all easy ime. ;0( She can phone the local
hospital and ask to speak to a supervisor of midwives, and book to see her CM
through her. I'd suggest she doesn't tell anyone answering the phone why she
wants to speak to a supervisor. ;0)
J
I just wrote to Supervisor of Midwives at hospital and asked for a midwife
to be assigned to me who would give me the birth I wanted. At least this way
you have a chance of getting a good mw
L
Ooh this makes me cross!! You have an absolute right to see a midwife without
needing to see a GP. In fact it is one of the key points in the new government
policy, the National Service Framework for Children (brackets.... and their
mothers.... but we don't think their mothers are important enough to have an
NSF of their own....... close brackets) (known as the NSF) that
women can access a midwife directly.
You SIL could do various things
1) write a letter addressed to the community midwives at the surgery explaining
she'd like to see them.
2) write a letter or telephone direct to the Head of Midwifery at the local
hospital
3) write a letter to the Co-ordinating Supervisor of Midwives at the local hospital
4) telephone during the daytime (just kinder!) and ask to speak to the on-call
Supervisor of Midwives
She should hopefully find that they should all be sympathetic and it should
be no problem to get an appointment sorted out - any one of those actions should
work. But I am sorry that she even has to do one of these things, as she is
not being provided with the service she should be.
If she does 2,3, or 4, she could also ask that this is fixed for other women
in the future. Perhaps the HoM or the SoM could write to her surgery and make
sure this never happens again.
If she feels feisty, she could also write to the Chief Executive of the local
hospital Trust (who organises the midwives) and the Chief Executive of the local
Primary Care Trust (who organises the GPs .... yes, crazy, I know) so they know
what's happened and ask for an apology.
Let us know what happens!
Love
T
The information that she was given from the hospital is incorrect. She should
contact the "Head of Community Midwifery" at the Hospital either by
phone or perhaps better by letter, and say something long the lines of - She
has heard of their lovely reputation for midwifery care and is writing to inform
her that she is expecting a baby in early August. She plans to give birth at
home (unless there are compelling reasons otherwise), so would the Head of Community
Midwifery make the necessary arrangements for her maternity care. She could
add that she does not intend to have any GP maternity care, - Love and kisses
and she awaits her early reply. This usually gets good and prompt attention.
A copy of the letter should of course be kept.
MC
I knew I didn't have the wrong end of the stick.. so to speak. Was beginning to think I had gone mad as the whole of Fife were disagreeing with me. My SIL is only 18 and finding the whole thing rather overwhelming at the moment. My mother called the GP practice on her behalf this morning and had a good old rant... which resulted in her being told the name of the CM and an assurance that she will be in touch. Funnily enough the receptionist seemed more aware that she had the right to do this than anyone else she has contacted.
C
LW updated April 28, 2005