Northwick Park vs The Portland?

[Marina]

I'm not totally sure I'd find being transferred to the Portland a reassuring alternative
here
What on earth has been going on at Northwick Park?

[hoxtonchick]

that's scary, marina.

[bundle]

how awful. it's hardly down the road either, if the c/s was an emergency

[Marina]

Well, quite. Harrow to W1? Hope they don't expect the incoming plebs to travel there on the Met line...

[bundle]

though it is just over the road to great portland st tube...what zone is harrow in? it would be v cost effective

[hoxtonchick]

weren't the portland investigated anyway for high complication rates? and they have no intensive care facilities.

[hoxtonchick]

maternity/perinatal complications i meant.

[bundle]

this one was heartbreaking

[Marina]

That is what really gets me hoxtonchick.

"Your local zone 6 hospital is currently under investigation for a maternal death rate well over the national average...so as you need major surgery for the safety of you and your baby we have arranged for you to be delivered at a hospital 12 miles away whose own c-section safety record has attracted professional and press concern recently". I would not be happy to receive this message.

Couldn't they have done a deal with a nearerby NHS or even private hospital?

[Marina]

I remember that case very well bundle. Absolutely appalling and completely preventable.

[hoxtonchick]

i agree marina, it's bloody ridiculous.

[Lolasmum]

I had dd at St. Thomases. When we had our tour of the Hospital they were telling us how fab they were and that if there was any complicated births at the Portland, they got transferred to St. Thomases!

[JanH]

1 in 1500 against national average of 1 in 8700? What have they been doing?

[Marina]

I am surprised this is not headline stuff JanH. I was horrified when I read that figure.
Quite correctly huge publicity is given to the tragic deaths of babies, but it seems that maternal deaths are the issue at Northwick Park...and I too am wondering in what circumstances these mums died.

[motherinferior]

Christalmighty, somewhere worse than the Portland??????

[sis]

ds was born at Northwick Park.

[WideWebWitch]

10 women, that seems really high in 3 years. How awful.

[99redballoons]

..and one of the worst things for us is that I had ds at NWPH in June 2003 and am due to have baby no2 in Nov 2005 there! Central Middlesex is also being offered to us, but I don't think they're any better and the area isn't as nice, plus a good 25+mins drive away from my house, whereas NWPH is 10mins walk! We really don't know what our options are. We're hoping that things will have improved come November, but now we're looking into a home birth! All my pg friends are just as shocked. When are they going to publish the details?? All so very worrying..