To think that the Whittington hospital might actually be dangerously awful..

[CRS]

...after reading the post natal care thread? Only, I would add "Don't whatever you do break your shoulder and whatever the top half of your arm is called if you are likely to be admitted there" to "Don't have your baby there" (I haven't had a baby there by the way).

I assumed my truly frightening experience, which involved being sprung from that place by a friend and taken back to Oxford to the John Radcliffe in her car with multiple fractures, was just a bad luck one off!

[2ticks]

I had meningitis and was in intensive care at the Whittington - they saved my life

[posterofagirl]

I have spent many hours in A+E due to working with some rather violent young people around the corner and I have to say they were always splendid.
Have never been on a ward there though.

[MissPenteuth]

I gave birth there last year. It was fine.

[lawnimp]

my ds(17) was born there and it was fine (was a long time ago granted!)

[pinguwings]

So based on a couple of experiences you're saying the whole hospital is dangerous?

[Mandy2003]

My DS (12) was born there and it was fine. And his cousin was born there 2 weeks before!

MissPenteuth - do they still have the picture of Monet's Waterlilies on the wall in the delivery room?

And when I broke my leg in 5 places I got on the underground with it in bits at Walthamstow and went to Finsbury Park so I could go to the Whittington and not get stuck at Whipps Cross Hospital!

[crazynanna]

I have worked there,and given birth there.
As hospitals go,it's fine. I hear the SCBU is highly rated.

I have lived within steps to a couple of miles over the last 30 years,and I remember once along time ago when it was particularly badly rated,as being known locally as Dewhurst the butchers ,but I think it's fine.

[CRS]

I WAS unreasonable! My original premise was correct! I stand corrected.

[theyoungvisiter]

Whittington is lovely! I've had nothing but good experiences there.

The postnatal ward is a bit shoddy and I wouldn't choose to stay there (on the post-natal ward I mean) any longer than you have to - but that's pretty much par for the course at London hospitals unfortunately.

You'll find horror stories about any hospital. Friends have a fair few about the Royal Free and UCLH (the local alternatives).

Really odd thread given you've apparently been there ONCE.

[MissPenteuth]

I don't know Mandy, I started off in the Birth Centre (which was lovely btw) but needed intervention at the end (baby was back-to-back); by the time I got to the delivery room I wasn't really paying much attention to the decor

I remember when I was pregnant, reading a couple of bad experiences at the Whittington. Seeing as I was booked in there, my heart sank. But when I read around a bit, I realised that there are horror stories about most hospitals. They're the minority though.

I'd go back there if I have more DCs actually.

[ObviouslyOblivious]

DS was born there 6 months ago, had an emcs. He spent 3 days in the brilliant NICU and I was very well cared for on a post natal ward for 7 days including needing a transfusion 2 days after the birth. We had a terrible time - made much better by the care I received. The only bad bit was the discharge from the ward taking over 12 hours. But no, ime it's not a terrible place. YABU.

[CRS]

I was being unreasonable! I just had a really bad time there and then read that someone else did in the postnatal department - and obviously 2 people's bad experiences out of the very many thousands they treat are conclusive.

[MissPenteuth]

Well yes. As I once read on here "The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'"

Sorry you had a bad experience though, it sounds like it was pretty awful.

[ScrambledSmegs]

I had DD there and it was fine. Intervention filled unfortunately but that wasn't their fault. The staff were great till the night-time handover, at which point I got a midwife with selective hearing but the doctor was lovely and overruled her anyway.

Post-natal care was mixed - daytime staff wonderful people, night staff odd some quite possibly insane. The one who insisted I bf my starving 2 day old baby for 4 hours during my midnight blood transfusion, leaving me with bleeding nipples and sobbing in pain was a real low point. At least she finally agreed that I had no milk and gave DD formula so I could sleep. Very that she overshadowed my memories of the wonderful staff who treated me with kindness and dignity.

But honestly, no regrets and I thought the care was largely good. Although I really want a home birth next time .

[CRS]

Apologies if this appears twice - computer acting up.

My experience involved a member of staff trying to jank me into a sitting position by the broken limb, which I may have been a bit vocal about, what with the compond fracture and all, and when another member of staff came along to ask what was going on said "The lady with the broken LEG is making a fuss"

But I was unreasonable, one bad experience does not a bad hospital make, and I'm glad they have treated so many of you so well.

[TanyaBranning]

I have heard good things from lots of friends who have given birth there. I would avoid the Royal Free like the bloody plague, though!

[bringmesunshine2009]

I saw that in the post natal thread andreally wanted to respond but simply haven't had time as DS2 is 11 weeks and full of beans at all times of day and night!

I had DS1 at the Royal Free. Perfectly pleasant, modern labour room etc. BUT: 5 hour+ waiting time for consultant appointments, never saw same midwife twice, my initial labour midwife was a mega bitch who dashed in and out for a few minutes at a time over a 9 hour period and was looking after 3 other women!! Waited 7 hours for epidural as anethetist ws 'busy' but the one midwife who ended up delivering was an ANGEL (Maria) and was brilliant and stuck by me, postnatal didn't touch the sides was only there for 11 hours (most of those night time). Got thrown a bag with some sanitary towels. Was barged in on by over zealous midwife at 6am demanding to know if I had changed DS1's nappy-I hadn't because he WAS ASLEEP! Was shouted at at 4am and told HE'S HUNGRY (had been feeding for an hour), was out of there at 10am.

Went to Whittington with DS2. Less modern (no bathroom in labour room! Was trundling off for a wee at 8cm down the corridor, queuing with someone's birthing partner ) but:

-Gave me an early ultrasound promptly to check for ectopic whereas Royal Free bookings LAUGHED, yes LAUGHED when I expressed my concerns at dying, having been through it some months earlier.

-Lady took time to take me on solo tour of labour ward knowing I couldn't use Birth Centre.

• Saw 2 midwives total for all my appointments.
  

• Never waited longer than 45 mins for an appointment.
  

-Everyone was so caring and friendly

-Registrar organised GBS test free of charge even though not routine, which they took the trouble to repeat and get back results on whilst in labour. Got epidural for 'manual rotatation' of DS2 [boak].

-Midwife (Eva) stayed with me throughout labour together with med stude who was lovely and really helped (was her first 'natural birth' and she cried when DS2 was born bless) we were all having a nice chat and a bit of a laugh. Both came to see me the next day.

-Consultant was a bit scalpel happy but persisted and delivered naturally in the end, though if she had had her way DS2 would have been out the sunroof despite not being in distress, just needed to change position.

To the point: POSTNATAL:

Had ZERO expectations, everyone knows postnatal care is shit. I packed food, water, drinks, paracetamol etc. I basically viewed the postnatal time as looking after myself in a hospital environment. It helped loads. On the ward was well fed and hydrated (from my own supplies which I get DH to replenish the next day). I got plenty of sleep the first night. The sister came round in the morning and profusely apologised for not seeing me before, I was so surprised, I told her not to worry and wasn't expecting anything! She gave me some kick ass pain meds for the afterpains and sought additional advice for it. She let me stay an extra night so I could get some rest, but then the pedietrician took 12 hours to see us for discharge the next day. Next time I swear I will just GO. I feel my postnatal care was really rather good.

So all in a very positive experience and made me realise just borderline negligent the Royal free were. Re postnatal care-we all know it's gone to shit the NHS is cutting back etc. GO PREPARED take as much of your own stuff as possible, including nipple creams and BFing starter stuff such as shells and shield. Treat as an opportunity to rest with your baby free from housework/demands of others.

[CRS]

And I can spell compound usually.

[ObviouslyOblivious]

Ha ha BringMeSunshine - I had forgotten trundling down the corridor with my drip to go to the toilet whilst in labour! It didn't bother me though, simply because I knew no different!

[CRS]

Also a doctor talking about amputating the arm as surgery would be "impossible". I still have two arms, as it wasn't. (good scar though ).

[MissPenteuth]

CRS, what did you do to it?

[2ticks]

CRS - I think you win the prize for being the most reasonable person accepting their unreasonableness! Sorry you had such a nightmare.

[CRS]

I fell down the stairs, well not actually stairs, the middle bit of the stairs (stair well?) at my friend's house. Two floors. I got up, apparently, and said "I'm fine!" before seeing the broken bits of bone sticking out of my shoulder and passing out. (New (to them) old house with rotten bannister).

[thefirstMrsDeVere]

DD and DS1 were born there but that was a long time ago. OH was born there but that was even longer ago.

I worked there for 6 years.

Fairly typical inner London hospital I would say. Good bits and bad bits and everything inbetween.

Parking is shocking and the A&E best avoided on a Saturday night.

[CRS]

Polishes unreasonableness prize with good arm - the other one aches in hot/cold weather due to my semi bionic nature