East Kent maternity experience

[Regmum27]

Has anyone given birth recently under East Kent maternity care at either the William Harvey Ashford or Queen Elizabeth Margate hospitals/MLUs?

My community midwife told me that the MLUs aren’t always open due to staffing shortages and there’s lots in the news again about the current state of maternity services East Kent hospitals. I’d be interested to hear what peoples experiences have been like.

I’m due in Feb and my preference is MLU (all things going well!).

As far as I know they closed the MLU at WHH during covid and have decided not to reopen. Not sure about QEM. If you live far enough over look at Maidstone birth centre, that seems nice.
Labour wards both have to sometimes send women to the other hospital due to lack of beds.
Homebirths they sometimes don't put any midwives on call.

To be honest they're far enough from each other you'd want to just go to the closest probably. They're not good options but you have to work with what's available and I don't think either is better/worse.

I had my first two years ago at WHH, and whilst the environment was lacking the staff were brilliant. This time I'm nearer QEQM and hoping to use the MLU as my midwife says it's open. Haven't been offered a look round though and all my apts even scans have been at the local community hospital so I've no idea where to even go at the QEQM when I am in labour.

Thanks @GingerbreadPanda I’m probably closer to Maidstone than QUEM but not sure if I’m able to give birth at Maidstone if I’m under the care of East Kent? will ask my midwife at my next app

Thanks @wibblewobbleball I haven’t been offered any tours either - my scans were at Canterbury and WHH. Fingers crossed you get the MLU at QUEM. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy 💜

I’ve given birth twice at QEQM. The MLU was open again when I gave birth last October. I’ve never used it but it was open.

It’s really really not great but they tend to fill up faster than WHH anyway so I can’t imagine a scenario where you’d be sent to QEQM if you’re more Maidstone/Ashford.

I do know that sometimes when QEQM/WHH are full they send them to Chatham Maritime.

Happy to discuss further by PM but not comfortable to share my experience on a public forum.

You'd have to transfer your care if you wanted to give birth at maidstone, it should be straightforward to do though. But would mean antenatal appointments there from 36wks probably instead of whatever you currently have. More importantly though any transfer or nicu care would by default be to Tunbridge wells (in an emergency you go to whichever they can get to quickest).

You can book to give birth at maidstone while keeping your antenatal and postnatal care with your current team - it's not an uncommon thing to do. The thing to be aware of is that if you needed to be transferred to hospital during Labour, then from Maidstone the ambulance would take you to Pembury hospital.

Why not give maidstone a call and talk to them? You can go for a look around or chat at any time, the actual 'booking' with them for the birth is done at around 34 weeks. When you go into labour, you're free to change your mind and go to your local hospital if that's how you feel in the day