"Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit"

I was actually quite appalled at how brusque the team on reception were. No sensitivity or warmth expressed. Orders barked “urine sample” “sit over there”. The last thing you need when you are miscarrying. They would call out your number and walk off before you’d even stood up so you didn’t know where they had walked off to. They were very busy but it costs nothing to be kind.

After my scan, I was given a report which threw up all kinds of surprises like an ovarian cyst and low hormone levels which weren’t mentioned during the scan. I was sent on my way without any opportunity to be talked through the detail in the report or to ask any questions.

I was booked in for a second scan next week but I have rebooked it in another hospital because I can’t bear the thought of being back in that hostile place. When I called the other hospital, the midwife’s kindness reduced me to tears. She took the time to hear my story, said how sorry she was and offered to look at the report I was given at st thomas’ to give me some answers. When I called this hospital’s unit to cancel the scan, the receptionist was very brusque with one word questions ‘name?’, ‘date?’.

Given the nature of what this unit deals with and the emotional and physical state it’s patients are in, the lack of warmth and sensitivity is really unacceptable and I am really pleased to be going elsewhere for further treatment.