can't find a doctor while pregnant and freaking out

We're set to move to a new town at the end of this month and that town has two surgeries, one of which is within walking distance of where we'll be living but is not accepting new patients, and the other of which we cannot get to without a car.  There isn't public transportation in the town and walking to where this surgery is while pregnant / with a baby once the baby is born is not feasible in the slightest (it looks to me like it would take close to an hour one way).  I have no idea what to do about continuing my antenatal care and I'm struggling to get any answers from the calls I have made.  Does anyone know what I should be doing in this situation??  Is there any way to force the practice near us to take me on??

Call NHS Direct 0845 46 47 and tell them you're having problems and they can help you find a GP.

Thanks, Weby.  I just tried them but unfortunately they didn't know what to tell me to do.  They said I can keep trying to call the PCT in the area to see if they would make an exception for me...I phoned them but they said they couldn't speak with me about it and I would have to send a letter.  It doesn't sound very hopeful, to be honest.  I'm starting to panic and wondering if we should cancel our move and try to figure out a way to stay where we are...I can't go the rest of this pregnancy without seeing anyone! 

See if your PCT has a PALS office they may be able to help you.

Second the recommendation to conatct PALS, also see if the area has a NCT branch, they may be able to help?

Thanks to you both--will look into PALS in the morning.  I've also got a letter typed up and ready to be sent off to the Anglia Support Partnership, which supposedly plays some part in all of this, I'm told.  Trying to stop worrying, in the meantime!

well, PALS was no help either. their response was basically 'deal with it'... my only hope it seems is the letter i am mailing off this afternoon to ask for reconsideration of my situation.  if that doesn't work, our only options will be to either cancel our move at the last minute and try to find a new place to live or to not tell our current GP that we've moved so that i could still come back to see the midwife i have now (it's possible to use public transportation to get back here fairly easily/quickly).  i don't know what would happen when they wanted to do home visits though.  i really hate this country

have you tried speaking to your current midwife about this? she might be able to contact the community midwives in your new area to see if they can take you on as a special case.

alternatively, have you contacted the labour ward in the hospital where you'd be giving birth to seek advice?

She will be going to the same hospital I think, it is a regional one.

yes, my hospital will stay the same, so i'll at least have my scans done regardless. 

my midwife is off right now but i should be able to get in touch with her next week. i do still have some time to get it sorted but am just feeling a bit hopeless at the moment because everyone i call is saying the same thing. 

i'm fairly certain the rest of my appointments between now and giving birth are at the surgery rather than home visits, so i may be able to get by with staying on at my current practice until the baby is born, at least. not sure what i would do about getting the baby seen in the new town, though...

If you explain your situation to the midwife, she might be able to do the rest of your appointments as home visits.  Our community midwives had a few drop-in clinics (but you could make appointments with them during that time) in different villages where they work...so I could go to the local children's center instead of the GPs office.  I only had 2 appointments at the actual surgery throughout my entire pregnancy.  Basically, everything was completely separate from the surgery and she only borrowed one of their rooms for 4 hours once a week to see a few patients.  I'd definitely check with her to see what your other options are.

If you explain your situation to the midwife, she might be able to do the rest of your appointments as home visits.  Our community midwives had a few drop-in clinics (but you could make appointments with them during that time) in different villages where they work...so I could go to the local children's center instead of the GPs office.  I only had 2 appointments at the actual surgery throughout my entire pregnancy. 

thanks for this suggestion. it's a smaller town that we are moving to so perhaps they'd be open to home visits. will definitely look into this option.

I was hoping to be able to give you some good news - last year they were planning to do away with catchment areas. It now seems the NHS has put these plans on hold or cancelled them.

My suggestion is to contact your current midwife when she gets back and ask her advice. If you are in the same region, maybe they will allow you to continue for the time being. Also, my midwife told me that if at any point I didn't feel I could make it to my appointments (they are at a children's centre, not my surgery) to phone her and they would arrange home visits.

Also, find out where the community midwives are based as they are often not based at the surgeries but rather at community centres (where my team is based) or elsewhere, it may be easier to get to and hopefully by the time the baby is born the closer surgery will be accepting new patients.

Good luck.

I don't know about where you are, but by me all the midwives are now based out of SureStart centres. It used to be that after 28 weeks you went to see a midwife at the GP's but nowadays they have relocated to SureStart Centres.

What about just going to your local maternity ward and explaining the situation? If you are all booked in for scans etc, you won't see a community midwife until 25 weeks.

thanks for the additional suggestions, everyone!  we are still waiting to hear back about the letter i mailed off at the end of last week and i'm working on trying to find out more info about how everything works here.  one piece of good news is that we were asked to sign up for a research study the hospital here is doing and this means we get extra scans and bloodwork done throughout my whole pregnancy, so at least i know i'll be checked out a lot at the hospital if the midwife thing doesn't get easily sorted!