Appointments

How to get an appointment

You can self-refer if you are up to 18 weeks pregnant and experience a pregnancy related problem. Please visit the NHS website for symptoms of a miscarriage

Please call us to discuss your symptoms with a specialist nurse.

They'll give you advice and arrange a time for you to come to the unit.

We'll aim to call you back within 1 working day, but this may not always be possible.

Please go to your nearest emergency department (A&E) if you are pregnant and:

• experiencing heavy bleeding and/or severe abdominal pain
• feeling unwell

If you're receiving maternity care at another hospital, please contact your midwives or their early pregnancy unit (EPU). If we are not your local hospital, please contact your local hospital's EPU. 

If you are over 18 weeks pregnant, please phone our maternity assessment unit (MAU).

Please do not come to the unit without calling first.

For all non-urgent queries, please email your community midwife team using the contact details on the front of your maternity notes (purple book). 

You can self-refer for an early scan if you have had 2 or more miscarriages, ectopic or molar pregnancies.

If you have a gynaecological problem your GP or another doctor can refer you. If you are not pregnant you cannot self-refer. If you have had a gynaecology procedure and are experiencing problems, please follow the advice you were given when you left hospital and contact your GP. If it is an emergency, please go to your local emergency department (A&E).

During your appointment

We'll do our best to see you as quickly as possible but waiting times can be up to 4 hours.

The department can be very busy. Please try not to bring children to your appointment. 

A nurse will assess you. They may refer you fro a scan. We carry out scans, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.

We may ask you to provide a urine sample. We may check your:

• blood pressure
• pulse
• temperature

You'll have a consultation with a nurse. They:

• will discuss your problem in detail
• may examine you and arrange any blood tests
• discuss a management plan
• answer any questions that you have

After your assessment

Our nursing team may:

• refer you to the on-call team of doctors
• decide it is safe for you to go home or refer you to stay in hospital
• arrange a follow-up appointment if needed

If we arrange a follow-up appointment for you, please come at the time given to you. We'll do our best to see you at your appointment time, however delays can sometimes happen.

If your symptoms have got worse or they have gone before your follow-up appointment, please contact us. A specialist nurse will discuss the best plan for you.