Pregnant woman’s shock at four-week delay

A woman who suffered multiple miscarriages has said she was “astonished” to learn that her 12-week pregnancy scan would be delayed by four weeks at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast.

The Belfast Health Trust confirmed to BBC News NI that there is now a four-week wait for patients to get their scan.

It means the usual 12-week scan, which estimates the baby’s due date and development, is now being offered to women in the Belfast Trust who are 16 weeks pregnant.

It is understood the delay is due to staff sickness and the new digital patient record-keeping system, Encompass.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she was concerned as she had multiple miscarriages, which were all picked up during her first trimester scan.

“I was astonished that care can be left that late. Waiting for 16 weeks to know that this is a healthy, viable pregnancy is completely unacceptable,” the woman said.

The woman who contacted the BBC said she self-referred to Belfast’s Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital when she found out she was pregnant.

When she was informed that she would be 16 weeks pregnant before her first ultrasound, she thought it was a mistake.

“I assumed they meant this was a second appointment. I spent weeks ringing the maternity unit and waiting for callbacks to chase my 12-week dating scan,” the woman said.

“But I was told that the 16-week appointment is, in fact, the first time I would be scanned or examined during my pregnancy because of delays on their end.

“One member of the booking department said the new IT system across the trust had driven the delays.”

She said she was “lucky” that she could afford a private scan, which helped put her mind at rest, but added that did not “address any of the other aspects of a woman’s health and welfare while pregnant”.

She said the private clinic said demands for scans had increased because of delays within the Belfast Trust.

“I think about all the women and their babies who have no other option but to wait far longer than they should for care,” the woman said.

She added that she raised the problem as she wanted to let other women know and to highlight the inadequacies within the maternity service.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said it is “not ideal” and that navigating Encompass is causing delays across the system.

Its NI director, Karen Murray, said it was “unfortunate for women who are on their pregnancy journey”.

She said according to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, pregnant women should have their first scan at about 12 weeks.

“The main reason for that is to check the age of the baby, its development; it is also an accurate marker as we also look for more structural abnormalities and make sure that the baby is well,” Ms Murray said.

“It is also important for those women who are making decisions around foetal abnormalities and trying to make decisions about whether to continue with the pregnancy,” she added.

Ms Murray said the college has been calling for a clear plan for maternity services and said an updated strategy needed to be implemented as soon as possible to address problems, including workforce.

According to the RCM, the Belfast Health Trust is holding additional clinics, including at weekends, to address the backlog.

Northern Ireland’s four other health trusts said there were no delays in their maternity services.

In a statement, the Southern Trust said its maternity team aimed to complete that first initial pregnancy scan between 11 and 13 weeks.

It added that in some cases, where women are referred to the service later, there may be a slight delay in receiving this scan, but the team would do their best to prioritise as soon as possible.

In a short statement to BBC News NI, the Belfast Health Trust added that it is the woman’s choice which hospital or trust they give birth in.