"Maternity told my sister to go to ED"

My sister was experiencing tachycardia and irregular heartbeat she was 20 weeks pregnant, her husband rang on a Sunday in July 2020 to express his concern and ask for advice, help and for his wife to be assessed he spoke with a midwife.  

Midwife was dismissive from the beginning of the conversation. They did not once ask to speak to my sister herself nor did they ask if she had any other symptoms except for did she have any bleeding. My brother in law did state that the only way he could describe how she felt was as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. He was then asked by the Midwife did my sister have any underlying health issues which the reply was from my brother in law that she had hyperemesis.

Based on the information the midwife advised it was not a maternity problem, it was my sister heartbeat and not the baby’s heartbeat that there was a problem with and it was therefore a cardiac issue to attend the emergency department.  I rang my brother in law to see if they had went to the maternity and was shocked and quite frankly disgusted that he was advised to bring my sister to attend ed on a sun a.m!

My sister was very distressed crying.  I decided myself to contact the maternity admissions and I asked to speak to the midwife who had spoken to my brother in law, I explained the circumstances and asked why she gave such advice. The midwife was very defensive and kept interrupting me during the conversation, I stated that my sister has been seen recently at antenatal appointment were her heart was noted to be beating too fast and was supposed to have a follow up appt to review this.

I stated that I myself was a nurse and I checked her pulse resting and that it was 138, I also stated that my sister had hyperemesis and was vomiting from moment she opened her eyes in the morning. I said that it was clear she was dehydrated and needed bloods taken and an ecg if that was available in maternity. I was rudely interrupted at that point by the midwife who said they was only going by the information they were given and can only advise based on that information. The midwife kept saying they were  told that my sister had hyperemesis AT the beginning of her pregnancy which my brother in law denies having said!  

Not once did they ask if my sister still experiencing hyperemesis or any other symptom Barr bleeding. Yes they asked was there any underlying health problems or history of health issues that’s completely different from asking what symptoms my sister was presenting. This is were I feel the midwife failed in their assessment of  my sister. She was just completely dismissed as having a cardiac issue that wasn’t the maternity unit's problem. Their advice go sit hours in ed then come to us if you need to after delaying my sisters treatment.  

I then asked the midwife so now you know a bit more about my sisters symptoms not because you asked my brother in law or myself it was because I told them will you see my sister? To which their reply was of course tell her to come down I was unaware she had ongoing vomiting as her husband said she has vomiting at the beginning. I think this is missing the point, no1 my brother in law did not say at the beginning she had hyperemesis and no2 surely it’s the midwife's job to ask had she still been vomiting.  

Once this conversation ended I rang my sister to tell her to go down to maternity they would see her, she went but was very upset that would be “horrible “ to her after I had rang which is truly shocking that my sister even thought that she would be treated different, however I managed to talk her into going and once there she was again seen by another midwife and dr informed that she should of most definitely gone to ed it was clear it was a cardiac problem.  Bloods were taken and an ecg which confirmed tachycardia urine checked and informed no ketones no dehydration then they walked my sister to ed! 

Where her treatment was outstanding they quickly diagnosed severe dehydration secondary to hyperemesis!  Maternity jubilee service was shocking and dismissive I’m just glad I rang back myself and provided vital information to the midwife that they failed to ask.  Ed in royal care was outstanding and after Intravenous fluids vitamins and basic nursing skills showing compassion was given my sister returned home, I just dread to think what would of happened if we had of went on the advice of the midwife.