Northwick Park Hospital banned from teaching midwives

[QueenVictoria]

I heard on the radio that the above has been banned from teaching midwives.

Apparently 10 women have died during childbirth in the last 3 years

Has anyone else seen an article on this or heard about it?

[Enid]

my sister had her baby there

the consultant that induced her 2 days after her due date then gave her a c section has been sacked and the maternity unit closed

[Enid]

she said it was filthy

[QueenVictoria]

enid.

Is your sis and baby ok now?

[Hulababy]

Sounds dreadful

[Enid]

yes fine

she quite enjoyed her c-section

made me cross though

also the creepy consultant kept ringing her up and asking her out for coffee

[QueenVictoria]

OMG!

Is that partly why he was sacked?

[Enid]

god knows

it was all so weird

sis and her dh took it very well I think they thought it was funny (she is very robust)

[QueenVictoria]

Sounds it

She'd make an interesting character on MN

[Enid]

I have told her about it

she thinks its weird

[cori]

This is my local hospital. I am so glad I have choosen to go to the one in the next borough.

[QueenVictoria]

Thats just the sort we need more of on here

[Enid]

she'd get a hard time

liked her c-section
hates breastfeeding
uses a dummy and a walker

[QueenVictoria]

I think she'd be able to bat her corner fine

[curlysmum]

I had my daughter there in 2001 , arrived in labour and told by two trainees that I could'nt be as 10 days early told to go home which I did'nt insisting I was in agony...I was a bit unsure as my first child ..after 1 hour wait sitting at the reception they said I could lay round the back in room off the labour rooms , was ring the bell for a nurse to come insisting something was wrong, and they then found a proper mid wife to examine me and said I was fully dilated and was too late for any pain relief etc and had my daughter after about 45 mins ...it was not a great experience, quite distressing ....should'nt have bothered with the classes etc as they did'nt offer me anything while I was there apart from a paracetomol I think.

[cori]

curlysmum, thats shocking. Had they never heard of a premature birth?

[curlysmum]

They just said it was practise contractions you will get these pains for a week or so before, I remember thinking if this is practice how on earth will I get through the real ones. They did apologise and said that I had a tilted cervix and the trainee might have not been able to tell I was dilated . I was just relived to get out of there really.

[PeachyClair]

That happended to a friend of mine at another hospital, only she was 24 weeks and had a history of premature deliveries. She was sent home, and lost her daughter. . She did get an apology in writing, but chose not to complain as she was pg again and needed to move on. Respect that, but do wonder how often it happens if no complaints are made. presumably complaints WERE made at this hospital, and it's heartening to see action has been taken.

[busybusybee]

I was born at Northwick Park in 1974

[hunkermunker]

This is why I chose not to have either of mine there - it's a horrible hospital.

[edam]

The high death rate came out after an inquiry into the case of one poor woman who, IIRC, bled to death shortly after delivery. They didn't notice because it was internal bleeding. You'd think doctors and midwives would be familiar with the concept of internal bleeding, wouldn't you? Apparently their mortality rate was six times higher than it should have been.

Appalling.

[cori]

I dont know if the whole hospital is bad. I have had DS there twice over Christmas, staff and doctors were very good and reassuring. I think it is the maternity unit which is the problem. Most women around here have given birth there and I have never heard anyone have a positive experience there. I am glad I was given a choice (I dont think I would get it now, as neighbouring hospital are overbooked). I would have paid to go private rather than go to Northwick park.

[Enid]

they told my sis

'well the pain is only going to get worse. You can either wait four hours for an anaethetist to give you an epidural which may not work or we can give you a c-section now"

[QueenVictoria]

It sounds similar to my local hospital.

Although the midwives there apportion the blame for the lack of services and staff on the "the excessive transient population in this area".

[QueenVictoria]

Thats interesting Enid - wouldnt the "c-section now" option require an anaesthetist anyway?

What a load of b*llocks they shovel to labouring mums.

[saadia]

I had ds1 and ds2 there and it was dire.

With ds1 I was in labour and asking for pain relief but the MW said she could tell I wasn't in enough pain. I did eventually get an epidural then had emergency c/s. Medically it seemed OK, but was very dirty.

With ds2 I went in when my waters broke was having contractions, which slowed down, but because ds2 was technically premature (by one day) they couldn't let me go home. I was put in a ward but the contractions got much stronger, no-one checked on me, I went to the desk to ask for an epi but they said no-one was available to administer it. I had a difficult ventouse delivery and the dr delivering said I should have been given an epi.

Then after ds2 was born a very junior dr doing the rounds examined his head and told me there might be a problem with fused plates, I was shocked and distraught. He then brought in a group of students to feel ds's head and see "how it was different". Luckily ds2 was fine but even if he thought something was wrong I thought the dr handled it very badly.

I really don't want to have to go there again.