"Following up on test results and trying to get a consultant appointment"

I suffer from recurrent miscarriages, the most recent involving me haemorraging on the street and collapsing. This was only a 10 days after having been scanned at the hospital and being told everything was progressing normally. I was rushed into the EGU at St Thomas' where the care I received was faultless. The nurses were unbelievably kind.

I did however, have an extremely unpleasant procedure which was given under a local (previously it was done under a general) after which my body went into shock and I then had to be kept in longer.

From my experiences it seems that the admin and non-clinical service that lets this unit down. I was promised a follow up appointment and that my results from the ERPC would be back with me within three weeks. I was also given a personal assurance from the consultant in charge of the clinic that they would personally take over my case from now on, given the nature of my situation. No such thing happened.

After no news for nearly six weeks I contacted the unit. They didn't have my notes, no record of anything. They promised to call back in 24 hours. No such luck.

I called back three days later and the same thing happened: no notes, no records, no idea what's going on. They promised to call back in 24 hours. No such luck.

The next week I call again. Same thing happens. Finally I get called at 8pm on a random day by the very kind unit manager who apologises profusely and admits that I have had a bad experience, clinically and administratively. The manager promises to rectify it straight away and someone will call me in the morning. They didn't. 5 days later the manager rings and I finally have an appointment.

I had to fight really hard to get that appointment. I also had to fight really hard to make sure that the appointment was with the consultant and not one of the team, who have already seen me for my previous miscarriages and have admitted they don't know what to do.

It's a shame that the great work that the nurses are doing are let down by poor admin systems and a seemingly absent consultant.