Hospital choices for birth

[Thirdlifecrisis]

I'm in an area where the hospital is rated as poor/ inadequate and maternity services have been particularly bad so I'm looking for other options. Does anyone have any experience of moving to a hospital further afield/ in a different catchment area for labour? There are better hospitals within driving distance but I don't know if I'd be allowed to choose a hospital in another area/ trust. I'm 34 weeks so all antenatal care so far has been at the local trust.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. You can give birth at any hospital you like. You can self refer yourself to any hospital. What you need to do is, check website of the hospital of your choice or call their maternity ward and ask how to self refer.

@Ella32 thanks, I'll see if they'll let me self refer

You might also want to check if your chosen hospital has guidelines on what it will do if there is no space when full. For example the hospital near me regularly sends women to a hospital 20 mins drive away when they are full.
If the one you are choosing is already not that local and you could end up being sent even further then it might not be a good option. Just something to check first

My local and chosen hospital went into inadequate in August and I gave birth in September. I'd contemplated giving birth at a different hospital based on this but thought it'd all be fine.

My experience was horrendous and I believe that 'inadequate' is way too generous a statement!

I think if you want to change you need to do it now as they'd need to transfer all your notes etc - I thought there was a cut off to be honest after which you couldn't change unless the hospital itself transferred you because they were full?

I had a choice of two, both 20 miles away. My entire trust is in special measures, so I went with the one in a different trust. Just be prepared for the trusts not to talk to each other (no connected computer system) and take paper copies of everything. Your community midwife after birth probably won't be given any information either, so make sure you get a copy of your patient notes when you leave hospital.