To think that some people expect too much from overworked NHS staff?

[Moomin8]

I'm in hospital to be induced. What they tend to do is put a propess in and then when your cervix is ready, move you over to delivery suite to break waters. I'm on the anti natal ward.

A lady in the bed opposite me yesterday has been here since Friday evening and since yesterday lunch time she's been complaining (and crying) over and over to staff that she was told her induction would take 48 hours and that this is not acceptable. She is not in labour currently. Her husband came in and then started a long rant about how he needs to go back to work tomorrow, can't spend his life in a hospital and that he knows someone who works at the hospital who told him the staff are deliberately leaving his wife til last.

I've heard people explain to them over and over that nobody can be in the delivery suite without 1:1 care from a midwife and that some midwives are off sick.

NHS staff work so hard. If people can't afford the Lindo wing I think they should accept that everyone is doing their best!

I agree with you OP.

It’s horrible being stuck in hospital at the end of your pregnancy, it’s frustrating the lack of communication within the NHS too.

But that’s no reason to be moody with staff and act like you’re the only patient.

I went in at 36 weeks with a UTI. Lack of staffing and communication meant the results of my tests weren’t found until 3 days later when the infection had turned to sepsis and my baby had stopped moving.

I had an EMCS under GA. Me and baby were both terribly ill and both required 1:1 care for a while. The care I received was great, but not often quick enough (delayed pain relief, calling for midwife for hours when unable to move to go to toilet etc). But it’s not one staff members fault. It’s the system, it needs funding majorly to work the way it should.

This doesn’t mean people should abuse it.

Induction can be frustrating and scary. Mine was my 2nd child, 1st induction and I was one of those annoying people who jumped the queue as 2nd gel got things going good and proper. I was also yelling and swearing on the ante-natal ward because no private rooms and I'm a big wuss.

DH had to kick up quite a lot of fuss to get me checked a bit sooner than the planned time as labour was really ramping up and I wasn't coping - pethidine was useless- I was 7cm when finally checked and waters went pretty soon after!

Guess I was being entitled but G+A not really allowed in Ante-natal and it hurt like hell! Equally the fuss meant I didn't actually give birth in antenatal with DH having to catch...

If she was told 48 hours then I’m sure she is frustrated, sounds like her DH has taken time off for the birth on that basis etc. It’s no excuse for being a dick.

When my mum had terminal cancer, she was rushed through to have a drain inserted guided by a scan. She was in agony (that day they drained over 20 litres of fluid from her abdomen). I was sat in the waiting room and there was a woman next to me tutting loudly.

She went over to the receptionist and started loudly complaining that she had been there before my mum (and others who’d gone in as emergencies) and why bother giving appointment times if they didn’t stick to them. She kept yelling “my appointment was for 10am!” and it wasn’t even 10:10.

The receptionist actually apologised to her and said she would move her to a different list so she’d be seen next.

I wanted to punch that woman in the face. Who knows what her scan was for, maybe she was really scared, but it’s no excuse. I’ve been in that position myself and waited well over an hour without complaint. It’s awful.

As an aside my dd3 was born in this ante natal ward in a small side room because I was suddenly in hard labour 2 hours after the propess and there was no time to get in the delivery ward. You can just never tell how anything will go.

@SinkGirl 😲😲😲 that is shocking behaviour.

So I’m foreign. I was utterly dumbfounded by my early experiences of the NHS. I genuinely couldn’t get my head around a healthcare system being this crap in a developed country. Just couldn’t understand how it was possible. Inevitably a part of the blame in my head went to staff a lot of whom were just terrible, I could see that they were all overworked but there’s a point at which it doesn’t take any more effort to not be hostile and cruel and yet done behave that way anyway. Having grown used to it I can see that the vast majority of the problems are systemic and that while many of the staff are terrible they’re not really culpable but it did take a while for me to cotton on while I got over the initial shock.

Ah now you see @randomsabreuse I've seen quite a few people come and go here and there have been a few who were in hard labour quickly after arriving and they were moved straight away to delivery suite or if their waters broke naturally. So I think evidence suggests that this hospital does try to prioritise fairly.

I think the reason I'm moaning about this woman is that I don't really want to hear conflict whilst I'm here. Usually I'd be trying to have a home birth but I can't because I've got gestational diabetes.

I genuinely couldn’t get my head around a healthcare system being this crap in a developed country.

Well that's what happens when you have a Tory government who spends significantly less money on the NHS than any previous government in the last 30 years.

Thing is it must be really frustrating seeing that you never get further down the list as there are a constant stream of people in actual labour bumping you! I think my labour ward had 10 women waiting for water to be broken most of the 16 hours I was there and aware of anything other than "ow". All the transfers in from MLU (me last time), spontaneous labour and people started after you getting ahead meaning you're "2nd" for about 8 hours would be pretty hellish, especially if your partner is clueless and stressing about work.

Also most inductions aren't really elective - I was happy with the decision to induce but we'd've been screwed had it taken more than 3 days as our childcare for DC1 had medical appointments at home 3 hours away on day 4!

I had some very mixed experience in the NHS from life saving surgery to nurses mocking me when my mental health was poor and I was very anxious. It is not as simple as you make out. Fear can come out as anger also.

I’m on the fence because you have no idea what this woman is going through and what other issues she may be facing. I’m not excusing rudeness but unwell and/or scared people tend to not always display their worries that well.

I am admitted to hospital for planned treatment 4-5 a year for a week at a time. Without fail, I end up waiting well over a day for my treatment to start. This makes my stay longer than necessary. It’s a waste of resources. I’m also immunosuppressed and extra time in hospital puts me at risk of infection. I am never rude but I do ask many times when the treatment will start. I’m not even allowed off the ward for a wander while I’m waiting. It’s really irritating and anxiety provoking.

Well @RunningAwaywiththeCircus if you thought it was bad then you should see it now.

Maybe the NHS needs to be properly funded and staff treated properly to stop complaints, rather than using the "staff are overstretched" argument to guilt and bully patients into keeping quiet when they're not receiving appropriate care.