AIBU to want to raise a complaint about midwives?

[Ashedload]

To explain, 34 weeks into second pregnancy. Hospital appointment yesterday at 11am for extra monitoring due to worries with growth. We were not seen until 2pm due to backlog, blood clinic was rammed, all that you’d expect of course and we were a little flustered with a cross, bored toddler and the worry that our LO isn’t thriving as he should.

We were told anyway that he has declined in weight again anyway and we need to prepare for early intervention; so twice weekly heart monitoring and steroid injections. Bit of a panic due to PND based on really traumatic labour with first.

Husband went home with LO while I was on tracing to check heartbeat as she had already been there all day and it was unfair. He was going to pick me and my sister up when we were done.

We were put in an assessment unit and five minutes into my trace a midwife came in and started a screaming argument with the head midwife who was overseeing my care. It got very heated and went on and on, really shouting at one another about laziness, no support and work ethic of the head midwife. Eventually the first midwife walked away still shouting and the head midwife started to really cry, shouting that she couldn’t handle the situation and was going home - and she left. My sister and I were sat in the bay, I was was hooked up to the trace machine and was waiting my first steroid injection. Someone did realise I was there after an hour but it was a really awful situation to end up in and felt - I don’t know - unprofessional of them? I understand that people have conflict but maybe not in front of patients who are likely there due to worries in their pregnancy?

WIBU to have a word with someone to express this? I’m already shitting myself about health of this LO and labour. I don’t like going into it with this staff drama hanging over me. On the flip side, I can appreciate my anxiety may well make me focus on this row so if I shouldn’t say anything, so be it!

I fully appreciate the pressure all medical staff are under. However that does not mean it plays out in front of patients who are already frightened, worried etc.
Do make a complaint. This is either the breaking point of an already strained working relationship or its the start of one. If people don't have trust and respect for each other, this is when communication falls down and things can go wrong.
hope all is ok with LO

People wouldn't put in a complaint about staff shouting & then both walking away & leaving a patient??!!

Crikey, what low standards of care some have.

The fact that NHS staff are under pressure doesn’t mean things like this need to be swept under the carpet.

The bosses at the top don’t have a clue how a ward is doing without feedback! Sometimes the only way a ward gets more staff or funding for staff is because it has hit rock bottom and is causing hassle and financial loss in complaints, being sued, poor staff retention, absenteeism and bad publicity.

I actually think it’s pretty disgusting that people have been conditioned to think that as the NHS is a difficult place to work for, patients should put their own needs to one side, accept any old treatment they get gratefully and let anything bad that happens to them slide. Clinical care that you pay for from your taxes should meet certain standards.

From your update it sounds like the head midwife is lording it over her team of stressed, busy midwives. If that is the case, there's your complaint. You witnessed an unfair division of workload
It is not the patients responsibilty to decide what is or isn’t an unfair division of workload. It’s also not her fault that the nhs and these midwives are under pressure. These are ladies in a professional and sensitive profession. No excuse whatsoever for the way they behaved. The only thing the op witnesses was two ladies arguing very unprofessionally in front of her and subsequently abandoning her while she was in their care. You definitely need to complain

^ I meant these are ladies in a high pressure and sensitive profession

Whatever the reasons behind it the situation shouldn’t happen. So yes complain, speak to pals and get the contact for the ‘supervisor of midwives’. Their role means that two important things will happen, the issues at the trust will be investigated and youband your baby’s care will be looked into and plans made to ensure it’s better than it has been.

This is unprofessional (I’m a nurse), and is the sort of scenario that comes up in job interviews!

Defo complain! That's not something you should be hearing! I'm a midwife, I can't even begin to tell you how stressful the job is....I'm also pregnant and often don't get a break on a shift.... however I'd never let my patients know of this in such a manner.

Perhaps frame the contact with PALS as concern that what you witnessed is evidence of the system breaking down to the extent that midwives are at each other's throats in this unit?

You should complain. It’s completely unacceptable for the midwives to air their grievances in front of patients. And for one to just up and leave without a care for the patient she was in the midst of dealing with is shocking.
Many people are overworked and stressed at work and don’t behave like they did.

do you have any alternatives to care at this hospital? i changed half way through my pregnancy with dd2. it was like night and day. i suddenly had confidence in them and felt safe.

I'm so sick of the "but the midwives are so busy because the NHS is over stretched" argument. You should definitely complain. My baby and I could have died because of horrendous treatment from several midwives during my 6 day induction. Midwives aren't some higher being that can do no wrong. Complain, it's the only way to change things and get management to understand how things are running on the word. I complained and got protocol changed and an official apology from the hospital for my experience.

*ward

You should complain. As a midwife I do get that it’s very stressful but there’s something wrong with a unit where staff are screaming at each other. I’ve never seen that, only worked in units where the staff support each other above and beyond.

My concern would be that if the staff are like this with each other will it filter down? Are the midwives talking to the students like this? Are they being short/bad tempered with the women?

I’m a nurse I’ve been in the place where I end up crying and overwhelmed , neber in front of a patient . I feel for them it can be a real pressure cooker of an environment sometimes but the fact you were left on monitoring with no one watching and treated that way as a result needs to be flagged up , the midwives will likely be mortified if a complaint comes on but maybe they will be more professional when there is conflict the next time .

I’d expect a complaint if I acted this way in front of patients , in fact maybe it will highlight working practices or inequalities in the department and help the midwives if flagged up .

I do think this needs raising as not only is it unpleasant for you it's also a safety issue if a patient is left when they are being monitored.

I have every sympathy for midwives they are massively overworked and understaffed. It may well be that the issue arose because they are under unmanageable pressure and just snapped. It still needs raising though.

Go ahead, your statement will add another page to their disciplinary file.  Seems like you witnessed two midwives at absolute breaking point. Probably due to the utterly shit pressure the NHS has put them under. Might even give them even more incentive to get out of their thankless jobs.

Oh yes because all midwives are perfect and are never to blame.
If they're having a screaming row in front of a patient who is worried about the life of her baby then I'd suggest they're not suited to the job anyway.

Speak to the consultant midwife (new title for supervisor of midwives) and/or your local maternity Voices partnership (new name for maternity services liaison committee) both of whom can deal with it and raise it in higher places. It isn't an official complaint but will get dealt with properly by the right person.

Woah to the people saying midwives are stressed! The OP is stressed and that is more important, she’s carrying a baby. If they cannot do the job they should seek help. OP sought help and look what happened.

OP report. ThT was unprofessional of them and if they are not helped they could get worse and worse. Walking off leaving a patient is malpractice. I don’t care how dressed they are. Report.

THe fact the staff are under unbearable pressure is exactly why it SHOULD be reported. If they are so stressed their judgment on acceptable behaviour is out of the window, what effect is that same stress having on clinical judgments? Management need to know the unit is at breaking point. And patients need to feel they can bother the midwives with concerns any time, not tiptoe round staff arguments feeling awkward and polite. The stakes are too bloody high.

There is definitely research/evidence out there that such incidents can be early warning signs of a clinical environment which could degrade to a stage where patient care is compromised. Mid Staffs anyone?

Perhaps frame the contact with PALS as concern that what you witnessed is evidence of the system breaking down to the extent that midwives are at each other's throats in this unit?

^^ This is the perfect response. I’ve been the midwife in that high stress situation and never, ever acted this way but by god it’s been tempting at times. Head midwife sounds as if she’s out of touch with the reality of the assessment unit midwife’s world. She walked out despite having you, her patient on a monitor. That’s really bad.

Good luck with your pregnancy.

What an awful situation for everyone. You absolutely should put your experience in writing to PALS.

Stick to the facts - there were long waiting times, staff started shouting at each other, and you were left unattended and your treatment was delayed.

You do t know how or why they’d reached that point, and it isn’t for you to try and figure that out or put explanations in place - that is for the team investigating.

Their behaviour was very unprofessional. However, I can’t help feel sorry for them - midwives (and full disclosure, I am a midwife) are working under immense pressure in some Trusts. There is chronic understaffing, and since Supervision was abandoned, very little support. I a man seeing loads of my friends and colleagues “burning out”. Sad times.