RVI vs The Northumbria - any experiences???

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Anyone here given birth at either the RVI or the Northumbria in the past 2 years?

I need to choose where I'm going to go. So far I've got:

RVI - better place to be if things go wrong, more pools etc, superb reputation and CQC report. Downside: more impersonal and partners can't stay, wards not private rooms.

The Northumbria - shiny new hospital, everyone gets a private ensuite room. Downside - awful CQC report. But then again, cqc report is now 3 years old, so surely it will have improved?

Any first hand experiences much appreciated.

I have friends who thought the RVI was great, but don’t know anyone who ha had their baby at Northumbria.

I had my 3 at the QE in Gateshead and they were amazing every time but I’m guessing too far for you.

The nsec from what I've heard and recommended by a midwife when I was pregnant two years ago, was don't go there have a homebirth. I couldn't have a home birth, however nearly did thanks to the beast from the east. I am further up so also had the choice of The borders general or rvi, I chose borders due to it was actually closer to get to than nsec.

Can you ring and book a look round to help you decide? Have a chat with the staff and get a feel of the place.

midwife said don't go there

This is interesting!

The mw at my booking-in pushed really hard for the Northumbria. I didn't know anything about either of them, then went home and read the cqc reports (edited highlights - the rvi staff walk on water, while the Northumbria staff all hate each other, lack basic h&s policies and keep 'non-clinical' items in the placenta freezer. There was also an oblique reference to not treating mothers with dignity and compassion)

I know it sounds like a no-brainer, really, but I'm terrified of giving birth and the idea of my dh getting sent home and me being left on my own really frightens me. Plus all the horror stories about post-natal wards.

I had both my dc at the RVI and I’m not sure my dd would be here without their fast reactions as her heart rate dropped really low.
I have no idea about the other hospital though as my last dc was born 8 years ago. Hopefully someone will be along who has had experience of the new hospital.
Good luck either way

The posh birthing suites on ground floor of RVI are private with en suite and partners can stay around the clock. That’s for straightforward births (ie not c sections or high risk patients) but they are lovely (I had a tour). I ended up having 2 c sections (2 years apart) at RVI - 1st time I got private room and they said partner could stay (he declined 😡), second time I was in a ward. Staff were excellent.

Can’t really comment on NSEC (although they somehow missed my DC’s clearly broken arm!!!) which doesn’t bode too well!!! PS Congratulations!

I’ve had 2 babies at Cramlington. One 3 years ago and one 5 weeks ago. PM me for more info and tips. My birth story would be quite outing but I’m happy to discuss it my PM.

Oh yes forgot to say, I had my ds at the RVI too and that was an amazing water birth! So I’ve seen both extremes at the RVI. One water birth whee the midwife was just amazing. Very calm and just knew exactly what she was doing but then she looked like she was heading to her 60s and that was 11 years ago so I’d hope she’s retired now! Then my dd who was a grade 1 emergency caesarean and they were amazing there aswell. Everything went smoothly (although scary at the time) and she was born and we were both well looked after. I remember being put in a room of 4 women who had all had traumatic births and we were sat together at one point and they went through how our feelings etc of feeling low especially after a birth like we’d had was normal but to ask for help etc and they were just so lovely.

I had my first at the RVI quite a few years back, so out of your time frame but they we're ok, the staff were lovely but overstretched, it was very hot (I only have kids in hot weather) and afterwards I was in a 4 bed ward and it was so noisy, unfortunately I couldn't go straight home because I had an emergency section & slightly early DS was struggling to feed but it was really hard to rest as it was quite noisy - lots and lots of twins on the ward so double crying but I couldn't fault the staff. Food however was vile - DH brought me in stuff (hopefully that's got better)
We moved further south by the time we had DS2 and I had him at James Cook (staff were also lovely, had amazing pregnancy care including hydrotherapy, had own room but building was falling apart)
Perhaps you could join a local mums FB page and ask on there - you may get more local responses

I had DS at the RVI just under 3 years ago, there prenatal care was excellent and if your expecting a straight forward birth then the birthing sweet is lovely. Unfortunately the ward were they deal with more complicated births is not so great (for me anyway).

DS was induced, and I was put on continuous monitoring, which kept falling off, so was told I had to remain it the same (quite uncomfortable) position for hours so the machine would work. The midwife I had must have been a student/recently qualified as she didn't really seem to know what she was doing, and kept having to go check with other staff. She also didn't really listen to me and instead kept pushing me to take more pain meds, even though I wasn't complaining about the pain, just asking if I could be more mobile.

The induction wasn't really progressing so while I was having an epidural (which I didn't want or need) she put the drip up by 8x the recommended half hourly increase (I heard her getting told off for this later) which unsurprisingly lead to DS's heart rate dropping and an emergency section.

The theatre staff were amazing though, and I think that part of the process was managed really well, however once I was sent back to the ward, the care wasn't great.

They were to busy to send anyone to remove the catheter for well over 24 hours (recommended is 4-6 hours), which delayed me getting moving again after the surgery. I ended up having to stay in for 4 days, not because there was anything wrong, but simply because they didn't have the staff to do the checks they need to do then discharge me. During this time I was mainly ignored and left to it, and the odd time I did have to buzz ask for help, the staff (all but one lovely midwife) were really rude, and just seemed annoyed I was disturbing them.

I'm having second baby in 2 weeks and booked into Northumbria for a VBAC (they have higher success rate), it is now going to be a ELCS due to breach, so will see how the two experiences compare.

Sorry, that turned into quite a long ramble. Now I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy I've got my first birth on my mind quite a lot.

I've had all my DC at RVI, first in the mid-wife led unit downstairs. I had a terrible experience, total midwife incompetence that almost led to very serious consequences for DC1 (although thankfully he was fine in the end).

The other two were elective c-sections upstairs, consultants and midwives in the theater were excellent. Midwives on the main ward were crap - I could hear them laughing and carrying on with each other when I was pressing the call button as I thought DC2 was choking and I couldn't get to him properly as I was quite shaky.

In fairness most of my friends with children gave birth at the RVI and on the whole had positive experiences.

My children were born at NSEC. I had consultant led care which was pretty dire (I ended up taking control of my pregnancy plan basically) but when it came down to it the care related to delivery was great. After care not so much, however if you deliver at NSEC you can transfer to Hexham for after care, this is like being in a private hospital as they are so quiet!

I felt safe & listener to in the run up to delivery & had great experiences.

Had both dds at the RVI birthing centre, found it excellent although obviously have nothing to compare it to...at the time, youngest is nearly 6, it was in the top 3 birthing centres in the country, and reassuring to know you can be taken straight upstairs if there are problems. In general, I think the RVI is an excellent hospital and I feel fortunate to live so close

I really wanted to use the RVI birthing centre but alas, things went wrong so I was upstairs at RVI. Shared wards, DH couldn't stay, SCBU was amazing
I live in Northumberland now and most of my friends gave birth in Crammy and from the sounds of it, for a low risk birth it is much better.

Thank you to everyone who's posted, am reading with great interest x

I had my son at Northumbria a year ago.
Had planned to go to Hexham but ended up being induced which they don’t do at Hexham.
Anyway I had a positive experience overall.
Only negative I had would be that they didn’t believe I was in labour when I was, lol. I had a pessary to induce and midwife said they would check after 6hrs if it was working. I had period type pains pretty quickly and after about 2hrs definite contractions, by 4hrs I was having contractions really close together but they wouldn’t check me or give me have gas and air as ‘I was a first time Mum’? They made me wait till the 6hr mark, panicked when I was at 7-8cm and he was born about an hour later after 45mins pushing, lol!
However I know lots of people who have had similar experiences at different hospitals (including a relative who was sent home and had baby an hour later at home without help - RVI) so I wouldn’t be put off by that!

I’ve had C Section at RVI within the last 6 months.

Found all staff were great, friendly and supportive. Ward (4 bay) clean although toilet/showers are a walk from the bed. (Something to think about if you are stuck in gown/stockings and shuffling about ect). There is a lounge where some food/drink is available but again it depends on mobility ect if you can reach it.

As for partners staying, all the 3 other ladies all had partners stay overnight (in one case partner and MIL). I suppose to ease the burden on nurses by having partners to assist but i personally found it intrusive to my stay (but that’s the visitors fault not the RVI). No chance of private room (consultant requested) as they are simply too busy.

Checks/meds/communication and discharge were all well organised and efficient. Plenty of feeding support offered for both breast and formula.

I’m comparing this to a previous 5 day ward stay (6 bed no overnight guests allowed) and overnight in private room with en-suite and partner staying experienced within the last 5 years at 2 other hospitals.