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Coping with HG

Support is Vital

"The support I received over the past 6 weeks helped get me through what has been the toughest time of my life. Having someone who really who really understood the condition give advice helped us through and crucially, at times, gave me really useful information I didn't get from my own medical practitioners. In my experience, HG is such a debilitating and lonely struggle, the more support you get the better chance you have of surviving it" - Lisa, from London.

HG Facts

Hyperemesis Gravidarum rarely ends at 12 weeks of pregnancy. It typically improves in the middle of pregnancy, but symptoms often last until birth. 

Making a complaint about your care

Unfortunately, sometimes healthcare providers aren’t trained or educated on HG treatment, and do not treat HG properly. Even if you get treatment, the healthcare provider’s attitude and what they say can also have a negative impact. This can really compound the difficulty of having HG and contribute to mental health issues and trauma, as well as physically make you worse. 

My GP had written an extensive letter with all the signs of dehydration, that I hadn’t gained any weight, or been able to keep medications down. 

The hospital couldn’t have been more unhelpful. 

I’ve cried all evening. I feel not believed and crazy. I feel I have to make a complaint now but don’t know where to start. - HG patient at 28 weeks

If you feel like your care has not been good, and you want to make a complaint, below are some tips for you. 

 

How to make a complaint

1. We recommend writing down your complaint - even if you first complain in person or by phone, follow up with an email. This is both for your own records, and to help the healthcare providers take the correct action. 

2. If it helps to organise your thoughts, think about:

  • What happened, when, and where
  • Who was there, what did they say, what treatment they offered.
  • If you shared any concerns at the time, and their response
  • If you’re complaining about a series of incidents, write in date order, as bullet points, to make it easier to read.
  • You can - and should! - share how the situation made you feel, but don’t use abusive language. 

3. Decide what you would like the outcome to be - what you would like to be different in future - and ask for that as part of your complaint. This might include: 

  • Being treated by a different healthcare provider for the rest of the pregnancy (or a more senior midwife/doctor). Consistency of care - seeing the same midwife/doctor who knows your history - can really help. 
  • Receiving the correct treatments (you can refer to the HSE guidelines here)
  • Being able to access treatment more easily e.g.: going directly to the antenatal ward rather than Emergency for IV rehydration. 
  • Changing the way they treat others with HG

4. If possible, get a friend to read over your complaint before you send it. They can help you fill in any gaps, or ask any questions to help you make it more clear. 

If you would like some support with writing your complaint, please contact us. 

I was referred in to Emergency at 9w pregnant as my GP was concerned about dehydration. The triage midwife told me that I wasn’t dehydrated enough to need IV fluids, and also that I wasn’t pregnant because their machine wasn’t registering any hCG from my tiny (brown!) urine sample. I burst into tears thinking I was miscarrying. They then did a scan - the pregnancy looked fine. She didn’t apologise, and I didn’t receive any fluids. The following week, another doctor expressed concern about my hydration, but I refused to go into hospital to be treated like that again. 

I finally made a complaint to the Patient Liaisons at the hospital. I was really impressed by how quickly they responded - they phoned me the next day and I also had a response from the Director of Midwifery. From then on I saw the same midwife-led team at all my visits, which made a big difference to my care in the hospital.  - Lynn*, second HG pregnancy, Dublin



Who to complain to? 

There are different routes depending on the healthcare setting and your preferences. Check the links below as each route has slightly different forms, and commitments as to how quickly they respond. 

GP care

  • The GP’s Practice Manager. They should have a complaints policy and may have a form to fill out. 
  • If you don’t get a good response from them, you can consider escalating to the Medical Council (for GPs only). 

Hospital Care

  • Each hospital should have a Patient Liaison and the details should be on the hospital website (or phone the main switchboard and ask for their contact details). They can help resolve things informally and quickly. 
  • You can also go through the HSE’s Your Service Your Say through phone, email, or online https://www2.hse.ie/complaints-feedback/ 

Pharmacy Care

 

Links and More information

How to get the most out of healthcare appointments when you have HG

Making a complaint to the Medical Council about a doctor: https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/complaints/patients/complaints-information-for-patients-and-the-public.html 

Patient Advocacy Service (hospital care only) https://www.patientadvocacyservice.ie/