"Sorely Lacking"

I am not usually one to write reviews but after having let the events settle I felt the need to let someone know about the experience which I received visiting the Accident & Emergency department.

I was just over five weeks pregnant when I had a minor bleed the night before. It was only a small bleed. But naturally as a pregnant woman I was concerned. I contacted 111 who then directed me to my local A&E department. I didn't have any pain, just discomfort and the bleeding had ceased by this point. My wait time was very quick and the doctor I saw was very polite but other than feeling my stomach externally and asking for me to urinate into a cup to check a pregnancy test she didn't really do much. She said she was unable to refer me to the Early pregnancy unit as I just wasn't far enough along. The advice was if you feel pain, come back. If not pee on a stick in a weeks time.

Two days later I returned to Accident & Emergency. The discomfort in my stomach had grown. I could feel something there, my stomach was also pulsing externally as though my heart had relocated itself. And was by this point getting oddly round for someone at 5.5 weeks pregnant. I sat in a untidy and kind of unclean A@E for over 6.5 hours before eventually discharging myself because by this point it was past 3am. And someone needed to be at home to look after my toddler as the wait time was looking like it was going to be past 8am.

Despite going home I kept feeling worse, and worse and worse. I waited until I was 6 weeks and called the early pregnant unit who asked me to come in for an emergency scan. Only I couldn't bring my toddler and I didn't have anyone for her. So I had to ask what the last appointment I could get was and ask my husband to travel up north from working away to watch my little one so I could go for a scan. I understand the policy exists for a reason but you can't always get childcare on short notice when you have a little person.

I was told that the last scan was at 4pm and I could not be late.

I actually arrived early. However, my scan wasn't until 4:30pm... I was diagnosed with a caesarean ectopic and was told that my uterus was just full of blood, hence the pulsing.

Sadly, all I can think is... if I had actually listened to the first doctors advice... and I left A&E the second time knowing I was just going to be fobbed off too. It's a good think I am not afraid to advocate for myself. A skill I learned from my first pregnancy sadly.

Apparently if you sit in the Accident & Emergency department and are loud and rude this will bump you up the queue. Makes sense, I'd love to say I had the balls to adopt this method for future trips but I really do not want to return. It saddens me that I feel the whole quality of care is lacking already.