"No follow ups"

Disjoined care, it has felt like I don’t exist. I was over 30 weeks pregnant. It was noted at 12 weeks that I have high blood pressure. I was assured that I would get an appointment for a home BP monitor and would be called weekly for readings. Appointment never came. I chased it up. Eventually at 18 weeks I got one. However following this, I received no phone calls to check my BP readings. I chased this up with my midwife. Eventually at 29 weeks I got a phone call, during which I was also asked for my urinalysis. It turns out I was supposed to also receive a kit for testing this and it didn’t happen.

Further to this, a staff member was meant to be reviewing me and this has not happened. All the midwives I saw have been fab and very apologetic. It has felt like they don't seem to remember that I exist.

Further to this I have an ovarian cyst. I was supposed to be getting scanned often to make sure it’s not growing and getting in the way of the baby growing, and the staff member is supposed to see me about it.

At 18 weeks I got my first proper cyst dedicated scan. Then was supposed to have an appointment straight after. Was in the waiting room like an hour before I flagged up that I hadn’t been seen. They didn’t know I was there to see them, despite me having an actual appointment.

They looked at my scans very briefly in front of me. Then asked the midwife to do a ca125 blood test on me. I work in healthcare, therefore I know this blood test is for ovarian cancer markers. I was not contacted with any results from what is a worrying test.

They then failed to arrange any more scans. My midwife had to chase them multiple times. Eventually they get back to the midwife, asking to get me in at 24 weeks for a follow up scan. By this time I was 29 weeks. I got another scan. Between a large ovarian cyst and high blood pressure, I have had to hassle the department to be cared for. I understand that the NHS is stretched, However I think this number of issues and missed follow ups is unacceptable.