Just wondering if anyone has made a complaint?
I fell pregnant with the coil so was told from the start i was high risk. The early pregnancy unit were fab. However on 31st December i had to call the hospital as I’d gone dizzy and had stomach pains. This was around 4am. I was told they did want to see me but i could wait until the morning. As the pain was so bad i went through and got there for around 5:30am. I then waited for 5 hours to be seen, the doctor was completing their round on the maternity ward so i was left to wait. I had to ask for pain relief.
By this point the pain was so bad i was on the floor crying. Due to it being nye they had to use a scanning machine that they didn’t have a clue how to use. There was only one theatre in use.
Within 2 hours i was then in surgery, i was bleeding into my liver as they had left me so long. I woke from the op to hear two women in the theatre talking about babies! I was able to go home the next day but had to get my partner to return to collect my injections and pain relief as they weren’t ready with it being skeletal staff as new years day. They didn’t have the ectopic leaflets so these had to be sent in the post. On top of that they hadn’t got me to sign the form about the cremation so had to return to sign the form. I know the nhs are under pressure but due to the delays i could have died
Interestingly I have been pondering if and how I should write a letter to find out if my treatment at the A&E I attended Friday night with an ectopic was satisfactory myself.
I presented at 4am in extreme pain and informed them it was a suspected ectopic pregnancy. I was told there to ‘manage my expectations that it was 4am and the EPU doesn’t open until 8:30am so they can’t scan me until then.’
I got 3x doses of pain relief before it even took the edge off, was left in a practically empty waiting room to writhe in pain and not once were any bloods taken or did I see a doctor. By 8am I took myself to the EPU where it was confirmed it was ectopic and that I was bleeding into my pelvis and that surgery would follow. To rub salt into the wounds, A&E had not mentioned that should this lead to surgery I would need to have fasted for 6 hours and I had been drinking water throughout this time and had a bite of sandwich which meant I could be operated on until the early afternoon.
I think I too will raise an inquiry as it seems crazy to me that in a situation that all the literature says can cost somebody their life, I was left for 4.5 hours without so much as a blood test of being seen by a doctor?
Dear Jayneu and SWSB2023,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy losses and of the difficult times you experienced in the hospitals, my heart truly goes out to you bithe.
If you have questions about your care and/or about your treatment or even the way staff treated you, please do not hesitate to speak to the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) within your hospital who will be able to help you.
Sending much love to you both,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
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Hi,
Sorry to hear about your experience… such a difficult time.
I had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in September and made a formal complaint against my local hospital. I complained in September and am still waiting for the report. They say it has been drafted but they are waiting for their legal team to review it. I went to A and E in agony, told them I was pregnant and had pain on my right side, felt dizzy and sick and was bleeding. I was extremely bloated. I waited for hours to be seen by a doctor who then took a urine sample and told me I had a water infection. I specifically asked him if I could be having an ectopic pregnancy and was categorically told ‘no’ I didn’t have any bloods taken and was sent on my way with some antibiotics for the water infection. I pushed for a scan and he told me I couldn’t have one until the Monday which was 2 days later. He told me all my symptoms were down to the water infection. I then went home and that evening had excruciating pain and was extremely weak the following day. By the time I went for the scan on the Monday I had ruptured and was then admitted for emergency surgery. I was bleeding internally and had my tube removed. I am very interested to read the report. When I first complained I had a phone call from someone at the hospital admitting that they were already doing an internal investigation as the early pregnancy unit had flagged an investigation as to why I wasn’t seen by a gynaecologist when I went to A and E. Hospital admitted procedure was not followed so we shall see what else they admit to. The whole situation has left me traumatised and really made me loose trust in doctors. I’m pregnant again and I am terrified of something happening and not getting the help I need again.
I don’t like to make a fuss but at the same time the hospitals need to be held accountable and they need to learn from their mistakes. The more people who speak up the more they will realise there needs to be changes and that they are putting peoples lives at risk. By the time I had got round to having my scan I actually felt much better… They advised me that was the release of pressure after rupturing and that is what scares me as if I hadnt pushed for the scan I would have just gone into work and carried on as normal not knowing that I was bleeding internally.