Worried about Ealing hospital but is Hillingdon any better?

[Rommie]

Hi there!

I would really appreciate some advice. I am booked in to have my first baby at Ealing hospital. I have only ever heard horror stories about this place and didn't get a very good vibe after my first visit so I asked my Doctor to try for Queen Charlottes. Unfortunately I wasn't accepted as they are fully booked (or so they say!). My doctor offered me Hillingdon as an alternative but I don't know anything about this hospital. After my 2nd appointment at Ealing my husband and I decided to just go with the flow and carry on there. However after the recent Dispatches programme on Channel 4 (with secret scary filming at Ealing!) I am worried again! Does anyone know if Hillingdon will be that different to Ealing?

Thanks

Hi Rommie, I had a home birth with Ealing hospital midwives (a long time ago though) and they were truly fantastic. The head of midwifery there is very good too, could you call her and discuss your concerns? Having googled, it appears to still be Mary McLoughlin, contact details here . Do you like your midwives? Might it be worth a phone call before you change hospitals? You can still change if you're concerned afterwards. I didn't see the prog but was it specifically maternity services or other areas? The maternity wing may be very different to the clinical areas. Don't forget, these programmes are meant to show the worst, that's what supposedly makes good telly.

I know nothing about Hillingdon but I had my son in Ealing in January 2003. I didn't see the documentary but I must admit that Ealing Hospital is not the most clean. I spent time on the antenatal, labour and post-natal wards and all were less than clean! The loos especially are always in a bit of a state. Ealing is a very very busy hospital (as I am sure you will have noticed at the antenatal clinic) and the treatment you get does suffer. The support on the post-natal ward is not great in my experience but they do try their best.

Have to say on the positive side that the midwives I had during my birth were very good. I had three different ones as the labour was very long and they were all great and very experienced and supportive. I got my epidural really quickly too! DS was born with breathing difficulties and the paediatricians and the nurses in the special care unit were great. They have home-from-home labour rooms that are really nice but you only get to use one if your are lucky and the birth is straight-forward.

If you decide not to go with Hillingdon then I would try and book a single room if you spare the money. I had one and it was a life-saver. You get a TV and an en-suite! Also I have heard nightmare stories about Queen Charlottes too! A friend of mine had her DD their and they did not diagnose that she was breech. She had to have a emergency CS after being in labour ages and they damaged her DD's neck getting her out! I think that there are these type of stories about every hospital.

Hope this helps you make a decision.

I didn't see the programme, but had both my children in ealing. The midwives throughout were great.
I too was not too inmpressed with the post natal wards and came home as soon as I could - ie next morning. I would say that if you can afford it, a private room would be nice, but I think the noise carries where-ever you are and its that and the toilets that I disliked the most.

The staff were however lovely, so I cant fault that. I have no experience of the other hospitals so I can't help you compare

Rommie, have you thought about home birth with Ealing midwives? Presumably you're fairly near Ealing hospital if you had to transfer? There are lots of home birth threads here if you want to know more.

Did you see this thread yesterday, also discussing Hillingdon hospital? here