can I refuse to transfer hospitals?

[feelingabitsilly]

There are two hospitals in my NHS trust.

I am booked to give birth at my local hospital. However, this is DC2 and last time when I went into labour the local hospital was full and I was transferred to the other hospital in the trust. I didn't have a great experience there for various reasons, and really do not want to go back there.

Does anyone know if you can refuse to be sent to a different hospital to give birth? My local hospital is often full, but I would really rather not transfer this time, even if it means giving birth in a corridor!

Just to add to the mix, there is a third hospital which is actually nearer to me than the hospital I gave birth in, but is in a different trust. Would I be able to go there instead, assuming they had space? This was never offered as an option last time.

I think if the first hospital was full they wouldn't even let you in - it's not so much about space but about the number of available staff. Beyond a certain ratio, the risk level for all the women would be deemed too high. So you could refuse to go to hospital 2 but that doesn't mean hospital 1 would let you in.

Third hospital might be worth finding out about - I don't suppose they'd refuse you if you turned up in labour (assuming they weren't full too!)

Thanks, that's what I was worried about.

I will ask my midwife about hospital 3.

I was told that you can call any hospital if you go into labour and, provided they have space, you will be admitted. If a hospital closes to new admissions, though, I don't think there's a lot you can do.

I don't think there's much you can do. If they're full, they're full.

I had to go to the other hospital in my city and 6 hours later the one I was meant to be at still hadn't reopened for new referrals, so you could be in for a long wait!

Thanks all. I will ask my midwife about going to hospital 3 if mine is full. It might be a good option as it looks a bit nicer than either of the two in my trust, and near to my parents' house, who will be looking after DD.

You can give birth ( and be treated for anything) at any hospital of your choice in the UK.

Therefore if you want to give birth at the 3rd hospital, despite being in a different trust you absolutely can.

Only thing to bear in mind is that the 3rd hospital won't have access to your notes electronically

I would think if they are full, they are full, its to do with ratios and the risk you and other patients are at.

You can gove birth wherever you chose, we have 5 hospitals and at least 3 midwife led units within 40 minutes, and basically you have to rebook under the hospital you choose. So for me, i live in berkshire, but am currently under berkshire midwofe, but Swindon hospital as we chose to have our scans there. To have my home birth i then have to rebook under the royal berks as I approach due date, the rebooking would be the same if you chose to change hospitals.

Have you looked at home birth or midwife led centres as alternatives?

There isn't a birth centre near here

I was actually booked for a homebirth last time but had to go to hospital (for reasons apparent at the start of labour, I wasn't ambulanced in halfway through). I think I would like to book for a home birth again, but there is a chance the same thing will happen again and I'll end up needing to go to one of the hospitals. So I need a backup plan

Do I need to officially change NHS trusts to give birth in that hospital or can I just call them on the day, if my nearest one is full?

If I officially changed hospital trusts, but then was ok for a homebirth, would that mean that the home birth midwife would come from that trust too?

Thanks.

In my area, you had to be booked to a hospital in the trust for a homebirth . MWs from another trust wouldn't travel to another patch.

Doesn't stop you phoning the other hospital in labour, but I don't think they will arrange a hb that way.

So I could have :

Plan A homebirth
Plan B nearest hospital
Plan C hospital three (and hope they will let me in despite not being booked there)

Can you tell I am someone who likes to plan everything ?

You can still go o another hospital regardless of where you are booked for the homebirth. I would probably still opt for swindon as its closer than the royal berks.

I think with the midwife, it would be the trust you are booked under, they dont go over to other counties, so i have a berkshire midwife and that wouldnt change as we live in Berkshire. Its confusing as im currently booked under a wiltshire hospital!!

i have a community midwife that will attend my homebirth, i guess it depends on location as i know some women go to the hospital for their appointmets. So i wouldnt get a mw from swindon hospital come to my homebirth as she would be from wiltshire.

Im not sure that even makes sense now!!

I wasnt meaning to pry or be pushy into homebirth

Might be worth getting in touch with birth rights, they night be able to answer you questions :)

That's OK, I didn't mention the homebirth bit to start with as I was trying to keep the question simple.! I will have a look at birth rights, thanks