alexist

I rang the surgery, explained; the receptionist told me to ring Barnet Hospital ante-natal clinic and ask them.

So I did. Woman says, "we're very backed up, but let me see if you're registered". Takes my details, looks them up... "no, no referral. But it could be in this giant pile of post. We've got over 100 patients waiting to be registered. How pregnant are you?" Me: "10th week." Her: "Oh, that's all right then, we're so backed up we're not doing first scans till 14 weeks at least".

If I don't receive my letter by the end of next week I should call again.

Lovely. And I don't have another option--Edgware is midwife-only, and any other hospital (Whittington [heard avoid at all costs], Royal Free) will be a trek, assuming I could be referred there in the first place. I know that a couple of years ago Barnet was so backed up that it was turning people away (people were getting sent to Northwick Park and Watford) but I didn't know it was a problem again...