Can I change maternity hospital at this point ?

[byuppin]

I'm due to have a planned section in around 6 weeks time.

I've been in one hospital since booking in, but just haven't had a good experience throughout.

Various reasons really, but I just don't feel amazing about it all.

I've been comparing it with when I had my first baby at a different hospital and the people I've dealt with have been rude, negligent and non caring in this new hospital.

They've done stuff like telling us there's something wrong with our baby in the middle of a waiting room, not letting me know they found an infection in my urine for two months and just generally at most appointments ( not all ) I've found some midwives really lacking any kind of nice way of dealing with me. There have been lovely midwives, but a few haven't been nice. This makes me worry what the aftermath of the birth will be like.

I just very much preferred the experience at my last hospital and would like to go back there or to another one nearer to where I live now. I only moved hospital because I moved house. Otherwise I would have stuck to the previous hospital.

Can one move hospital at this stage ? They're all London hospitals, so whilst the one I've chosen now is the closest to my house, I can use others. I would just have to travel a bit more.

You can change hospitals at any point and to any one you want. You might have to photocopy all your notes if they are paper and have a new booking in apt but its pretty easy. I've changed hospitals in 2 pregnancies with no issues.

The answer is yes you can change although the original hospital may be fully booked. Is it really practical though now you live further away? An ambulance will take you to the nearest hospital and the community care will also be from the local hospital.

If you do move you’ll need to be rebooked and repeat bloods etc as the systems don’t cross over.

I hope it works out for you.

Absolutely change hospitals if you feel you would be better cared for elsewhere. I’m a midwife and regularly do transfer of care booking appointments in the third trimester for various reasons. Just get it sorted ASAP as they may not be able to accommodate a booking appointment for a couple of weeks (or more, we have been super busy and staffing is a real issue at the moment) and they won’t be able to organise your elective cesarean until you are formally booked.

Thanks everyone. I wonder if I should just go back to my previous one and be done with it. It's a good

Yes I changed very last minute midwife was supportive. I went on a horrible pre birth visit to a hospital - blood on floor, we were all (dads inc) taken unannounced in to a room with a new mum naked top up trying to breastfeed etc. No way was I giving birth there.

Of course you can. If care has been very poor put in a complaint to PALS too.

Sent my post too early..

I could go back to the previous one, but it's 1 hour 30 minutes away in the car. So pretty long ! We would need to stop a few times, as the newborn can't be in the car seat for that long.

There is another hospital with a great reputation around 40 minutes away, so I could try that one. The one I'm currently with is 20 minutes away and more ' local '. The other two are more central London hospitals.

I would definitely change especially as you are having a planned section, so you will be making a planned journey anyway so the travel time is less of an issue.

Giving birth is really the time that you need to feel you are getting the best care possible. No way was I going to my local hospital, I went to one further away but with an excellent reputation and had outstanding care both times.

Do you know whether your previous hospital is still as good? As you will probably know, maternity services in lots of London hospitals have really changed in the last few years due to themidwife shortage. Are you willing to share which part of London? Perhaps some of us who have had babies in London recently could give some info on what it was like.

@AnotherNC22

Do you know whether your previous hospital is still as good? As you will probably know, maternity services in lots of London hospitals have really changed in the last few years due to themidwife shortage. Are you willing to share which part of London? Perhaps some of us who have had babies in London recently could give some info on what it was like.

Last one was a big one on Euston road.. I think I need to say no more

say no more! I can't help as i had DD at St George's last summer but maybe someone else will be along soon. Good luck!

The only thing I will say is that they can say no to the transfer if you are having a planned section if there are not enough CS slots to safely guarantee that they will be able to accommodate you. So it’s better to change sooner rather than later if you are having a planned CS or you might be disappointed. Some units will tell you on their referral page if they can’t accept referrals for planned CS after a certain gestation.

I could go back to the previous one, but it's 1 hour 30 minutes away in the car. So pretty long ! We would need to stop a few times, as the newborn can't be in the car seat for that long

I think newborn is the perfect age to make that trip without needing to stop.

@AnotherNC22

say no more! I can't help as i had DD at St George's last summer but maybe someone else will be along soon. Good luck!

Well interestingly the one you mention, could be another option for me..

@Iwouldlikesomecake

The only thing I will say is that they can say no to the transfer if you are having a planned section if there are not enough CS slots to safely guarantee that they will be able to accommodate you. So it’s better to change sooner rather than later if you are having a planned CS or you might be disappointed. Some units will tell you on their referral page if they can’t accept referrals for planned CS after a certain gestation.

That might make the decision for me. I'll contact a few today and go from there.

I switched at about 34 weeks, hospital was same distance away but different NHS trust that had better covid regulations for visitors. This was just before I found out baby was breech and I was recommended to have a planned section. If you want to switch try and do it asap so they have time to get you booked in for the section as I believe they can refuse if they're already fully booked

You can definitely change however you may still be under the same community midwife (so in terms of infections not being picked up you may still have that issue). My midwife works for the trust I gave birth at but also sees patients that are giving birth at a neighbouring trust as she covers the area. It just means that she can't do bloods if you're going to the other hospital, instead you'd have to go to the actual hospital for things like that.

I can say that i had excellent care there, although i didn't have a section. I did give birth on their busiest weekend when they actually had to shut the unit to new admissions, and i felt well looked after throughout. The midwife and student who delivered DD were amazing. I had a 5 day postnatal stay (6 days in total) and DD had a 2 week stay as she was in NICU / SCBU. In my entire pregnancy and stay, i only came across one midwife that I wasn't that impressed with, and that was overnight on the antenatal ward (i was admitted due to high BP, my contractions progressed very quickly and she basically didnt believe i was as far along as i was 🙄. I've heard that it's fairly common for first, fast labours though.) The postnatal ward def needs some updating so it doesnt look pretty but i wasnt so bothered by that. They also have a small number of private, ensuite rooms that you can pay for if they are available (i had one night in the bay and was then moved to a private room after DD was moved to NICU). DH was able to stay overnight as well - both in the bay and in the private room.

I changed from st Mary’s to royal free at 38 weeks and it turned out to be an excellent decision- everyone at the royal free was brilliant

Is the Whittington an option for you? They do the bulk of the planned sections for the area, and pre pandemic everyone who had an ELCS was moved from UCLH to the Whittington. I've heard good things, and they're very supportive about sections.

I'm currently under UCLH and they've been WAY better than anything you've describe in your post (so sorry you've had a bad time) though they are quite hard to get a hold of for anything admin related. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow and still waiting on my section date.

Have you raised your concerns with the hospital? I found that raising my genuine concerns about the safety of my delivery did lead to some improvement although if I had my time again I would have moved rather than take the risk.

@Hathertonhariden

Have you raised your concerns with the hospital? I found that raising my genuine concerns about the safety of my delivery did lead to some improvement although if I had my time again I would have moved rather than take the risk.

I have to my consultant and was told that they have the same kinds of complaints a lot and that she would raise it and that it's unacceptable. So at least someone listened.

But it just makes me feel that the whole vibe is just wrong. And as the birth is getting closer, im getting more worried.

@LittleGwyneth

Is the Whittington an option for you? They do the bulk of the planned sections for the area, and pre pandemic everyone who had an ELCS was moved from UCLH to the Whittington. I've heard good things, and they're very supportive about sections.

I'm currently under UCLH and they've been WAY better than anything you've describe in your post (so sorry you've had a bad time) though they are quite hard to get a hold of for anything admin related. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow and still waiting on my section date.

First babe was at UCLH. I have no complaints

For baby 1 in 2019, I had a non-emergency c-section at UCLH (a failed induction that wasn't going well, so I told them I wanted a c-section) and it took them four days to find me a slot as they were so over-booked. Four days on the antenatal ward, sleepless and nil by mouth until 10 p.m. waiting to see if a surgical slot became available that day -- I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

For my second baby, I chose a different London hospital that was much better (C&W), but we ended up unexpectedly moving out of London and had to change hospitals again when I was 33 weeks.

The one thing I'd say is that the c-section diary will have filled up already where you are planning to go. That was the case where I moved there were no slots at all the week I was due to give birth and I had to be a stand-by slot. So if you can manage to get someone on the phone, you might ask for what the process would be if the surgical spots are completely booked the week you are due.

@exceptmeandmymonkey that has REALLY put the fear in me. Do you have any advice for how someone might avoid that happening to them?