Lewisham Hospital/ Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich

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I have just found out that I'm pregnant with second dc. I am new to the area and wondered if anyone has any experiences with any of these hospitals.
Thanks!

I would really recommend QEH over Lewisham. no experience of QEH personally but a couple of friends have had v good experiences there. I had my DD in Lewisham and would definitely not recommend.

Just realised you wrote this a while ago so will be more helpful! I was booked in at QEH but changed hospitals at 26ish weeks because I moved from Greenwich to Lewisham and wanted a homebirth so could not stay with QEH. Found QEH staff friendlier, admin waaaaay more efficient and hospital cleaner and more modern. QEH has (I think) a midwife- led unit (as well as a consultant led one) and Lewisham is only consultant led. You can really tell: Lewisham will do as much intervention as possible and have a high caesarian rate (this might be ok for you - just saying why I didn't like it). There were a number of occasions where procedures were not explained to me or students were allowed to observe without my permission being sought. I would've agreed anyway but that's hardly the point.

Not trying to scare you and I know some people have had much better experiences than me there, but is worth having a look round and asking questions about anything in particular that is important to you.

As an ex-Consultant who was at QEH until last year I can also recommend the maternity unit at QEH. However in recent years the unit has been a victim of its success in that there have been significant increases in the no. of women booking there for their pregnancies. It has also got busier since the Maternity unit at Queen Mary's is being down-scaled!
As for the staff and midwives they are a great group of professionals and I have happy memories of my time their with them!

I'm booked with QEH and they have been good so far, but busy. Don't expect to be able to change your scan appts to dates that suit you better. And book up your midwife appts in advance - all mine have been on mondays and they get very effected by Bank holidays at this time of the year. So I'll be driving round SE London trying to find my mid-wves.

Depending on where you live, you could try the Barkentine Centre on the Isle of Dogs. It is an NHS birthing centre - you have to be problem free, but the facilities are amazing. Birthing pools and bouncing balls coming out of your ears.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I know I am a bit late but I had to add! I gave birth to my lovely daughter 3 weeks ago at QE and I have to say all the staff there were BRILLIANT!! My little girl got stuck half way and the staffs quick action litterally saved her life. I was kept in for a few days after and the Midwives and Health Care assistants could not have beenmore helpfull or nicer.

As others have said - the unit is uncontrollably busy but the staff really are doing their best and are amazing I cannot thank them all enough!