To think the NHS is wonderful and on the whole does a marvellous job?

[mrsruffallo]

I had to go to a&e yesterday for a bad wound. Had 2 xrays and eleven stitches within 2 hours, and had a wonderful nurse and several visits from a kindly doctor.
I know it gets a bad press but day in day out I think it is an institution that we should be very proud of.
My only bad experience has been maternity services, I concede that.

"I'm surprised anyone would equate ob/gyn care instead of midwife care with better care."

Me too. I would have thought there was a place for both but the default should be midwife-lead unless there are indications otherwise.

Guess it depends on the ob, though - some are just brilliant and quite opposed to excessive intervention.

Yes, think we're quite close. Our GP practice has specialists in women's and children's health, and I found them just fantastic. Ob was quite funny - after dd(2) was born, the midwife asked if he should be listed as the one who delivered her (think it was quite a joint effort, but wasn't really looking!) - he said "Oh no, I'm an obstetrician. We don't do normal deliveries!". Think it was quite a novelty for him to do a "normal" delivery, but it was his decision to stop the midwives using forceps and epidural.

We're friends with one of the GPs in St A - he's a lovely chap!