"It shows a really basic lack of understanding"

I attended Chelsea and Westminster hospital for my routine 12 week scan only to find that the foetus had no heartbeat and I had suffered a miscarriage. This was a terrible shock and I was advised I would be referred to the early pregnancy unit for follow up. I waited and no contact was made.

When I was finally able to get hold of someone in the unit 24 hours later I was advised they had not received the referral from ultrasound and they could give me no advice as they did not know how pregnant I had been. I advised them that I thought the sonographer had said I was 7. 5 weeks (I knew it was more than 7 weeks as a previous scan had confirmed a viable pregnancy at 7 weeks). I was then advised of my options and told that the Nice guidelines suggested conservative management. I soon began bleeding and decided to follow this course. I was then scheduled for a follow up scan on a few weeks later.

At this scan I found that the miscarriage had not completed naturally and it was suggested I should consider surgical intervention. When I questioned this I was told it was my choice but given no recommendation of the best course of action. When I pressed the doctor who was "on call and had nothing to do with my previous experience" I was advised they could not say whether it was more or less likely that the miscarriage would go on to complete naturally. I then asked if anyone had reviewed my original scan and the on call doctor first implied it was irrelevant and then went on to say that if I had been 12 weeks pregnant the management advice would be different. When pressed again it became clear that the doctor who was consenting me had never reviewed my original scan and it was very likely no one had. So my treatment plan had been based on my recollection of what I thought a sonographer had said while I was very upset and shocked.

When I finally arrived for my surgical management  I was met with in my opinion an extremely rude receptionist and chaotic management. I was told to arrive at 12 noon for a list that did not begin until after 2pm. No one could give any indication of my place on that list until just before 2pm which caused difficulties as I had to let the person picking me up of a likely discharge time so they could arrange to get away from work.

The waiting room is extremely uncomfortable and a totally unsuitable environment for anyone awaiting surgery let alone women experiencing the trauma of miscarriage. You are left to sit on uncomfortable chairs while wearing a hospital gown and string knickers. It is pretty degrading.

An anaesthetist then went on to take history from a woman in the public area which I believe to be totally unacceptable and all the worse as this woman had recently had a baby and was discussing being able to care for her after here treatment. This is not only a breach of the confidentiality due to the patient having history reviewed but extremely insensitive to the other women awaiting treatment for miscarriage.

I was then finally seen at 3: 30 after 3. 5 hours discomfort in the waiting area. I never met the doctor who treated me and was discharged with advice to have an early scan at 7 weeks should I become pregnant again. This makes it clear that no one ever read my notes or properly reviewed my treatment as this would be of no benefit to me since I had a viable pregnancy at 7 weeks and not at 12 weeks. This would in no way alleviate any worry for me or provide any additional treatment options so would be a complete waste of resources.

Should I be lucky enough to become pregnant again I won't be seeking care at Chelsea and Westminster as I believe I did not receive any. I was simply a number to be ticked off in a spreadsheet.

And finally just to let any clinicians know.. Women who have had miscarriages are not OK. So please do not keep asking them if they are OK. It shows a really basic lack of understanding