"Hospital entrance and canteen"

What I liked

Hospital entrance and canteen

What could be improved

I think the whole antenatal team including the sonographers needs communication training! I feel like I haven’t been given any clear information and am always wondering what I am supposed to do next.

Anything else?

I have struggled to arrange care for my second pregnancy. I phoned the antenatal clinic to find out if my twelfth week scan was arranged and I was greeted by a very rude receptionist. She bluntly told me that I would receive a letter in the post about the scan. After a week I had still not received any letter and phone again on a Thursday to be told my scan will be on the Saturday. I would have missed this if I didn’t phone.

The sonographer was friendly but didn’t explain what she was doing during the scan and didn’t reassure me of the condition of the baby. I was told to go to the antenatal clinic for blood tests but wasn’t told that I needed to fill in a form. I was also told that my 20 week scan would be booked at the blood tests.

So I returned for my blood tests; here you are sent to a waiting area down the hall but not told if you had to report to anyone or if you will be collected for your tests. You simply wait hoping something might happen.

The nurse who took my blood was at least friendly; some unfriendly ones walk past every now and again whilst waiting.

Anyway, I didn’t fill in my form. I wasn’t given any information of what is happening with my blood tests, I had to ask about this. When I told the nurse when my first midwife appointment will be I got a frown. The nurse asked me if I booked my 20 week scan; well I was told this will be booked for me but at least this nurse told me that I needed to book it. So I had to go to the reception – rude receptionist again – and booked my appointment.

I find this very disappointing because I was looking forward to having my care at the Whittington but now I feel like I want to go somewhere else. I hope they don’t think that I should know everything because this is my second pregnancy because I have found allot has changed.