UCLH or Whittington for labour?

[Clairona]

I was hoping the government promise of choice would be more than just spin but St Thomas' has declined my referral as I am outside their catchment area. I now don't know where to have my baby. The Whittington is on my doorstep but I have read bad things about their maternity services and staff. I'm going for a walk-in scan at the UCLH tomorrow as I'm not assigned to any hospital.
I would love to hear about women's experiences at either of these hospitals or if someone could recommend an alternative. Unfortunately, private is not an option. Feeling slightly overwhelmed.

i can't rate whittington highly enough, there are a few other threads about this. i have had 2 sons there, last one 9 months ago and staff have been amazing. my ob was the same one that my boss paid thousands for at the portland. have had both c sec and vbac there so both ends of the spectrum.
i think both hospitals are good though, it's the royal free i would avoid like the plague after their shoddy after care.
good luck which ever you choose.

I had a very difficult labour (ending in EMCS) at the Whittington.

However, the staff were brilliant - so supportive and calm and lovely. If it's going to go wrong (and obviously I hope it doesn't) they are the people you want looking after you.

In terms of aftercare, I couldn't move for people trying to support me with BF and they were very generous with their time despite clearly being overstretched.

They've got a brand new midwife led birthing centre there now as well.

But...I have a friend who had a less positive experience than me there. Equally, I know someone who had a horrific time at UCH as well as someone who had a dream birth there.

What I'm getting at is that these are big London hospitals that deliver hundreds of babies every year. There will always be some poor women who catches a midwife on a bad day on a double shift when the ward is full to bursting. Try to put any scare stories into this context - I would be amazed if any hospital could boast a 100% patient satisfaction record.

The thing you've got to remember that the women who post their birth stories on the internet are a self selecting group. You are far more likely (understandably) to rant on about how crap somewhere was and how pissed off you are at their shoddy treatment than to bother logging on to post about how nice it was and what a good experience you had.

I'd suggest visiting both the Whittington and UCL. Do the tour, speak to the staff and get a 'feel' for them.

Trust me, when you're in labour the last thing you're bothered about is a bit of peeling paint - you just want people you feel comfortable with and who you trust to deliver your baby and support you. And the only way you'll get any idea of whether this is the case at either hospital is to go along and see for yourself.

Good luck with the birth.

I too recommend the whittington - 1st labour there was fine.....it is the people that matter and the care they provide, not the lack of freshly smelling paint. Going back next month for 2nd labour and will use the birthing centre, so will get the freshly smelling paint, even though that is soooo low on the list of priorities.
For this kind of thread you are going to get so many contradicting responses though......just go with what will be most convenient for you.

I recommend the Whittington. I had DS1 there and they were brilliant. I believe the ward has had a major face lift since then as well.
We wrote to them to thank them afterwards.

Other friends who have used it feel the same.

If the Whittington is right on your doorstep then why don't you want to use it? My experience there was OK, and proximity counts for a lot especially if you are going backwards and forwards during labour (and perhaps again afterwards, as we were re-admitted twice but eventually ). Have you been to look round their new birthing centre yet?

I think you have a good choice there really, so don't feel too let down about it. I went to UCH with both of mine, although I also live much closer to Whittington. Thats cos when I had ds1 I heard Whittington was rubbish, then when I has ds2 i thought ill just go back to the same place. I have felt happy with UCH both times, not everything 100% perfect but i don't think you would get that anywhere? for the actual labour i found them really good, i had full attention from midwife's, was never left on my own either time, no delay getting a room on labour ward or anything like that (those were the main things id worried about, altho i kno really it depends how busy on the day i guess)
But anyway i think what i had previously heard about whittington being bad is not true, especially now they have renovated it and with the new birth centre, if i still live in the same area i'll probably go and try the whittington next time. With ds2 we were in taxi going to hosp, labour was very quick and i was almost gonna have him, driver was like "are you not going to whittington its much closer?" - at that time i wished i was going there, there is definitely some benefit in going near by esp if its your 2nd or subsequent baby cos time may b of the essence in gettin 2 hosp..
So why not just go and have a look around both? but im sure you will be fine either way, they both seem to be good hospitals don't worry.

Realy interesting to read your experiences - esspecially as I (29 weeks with my first) am myself at the Whittington and so far like it a lot.

@notanumber - Thanks for this very reasonable comment. Very wise.

@Clairona - About: "the governments' promise of choice":
There are plans to close the maternity unit at the Whittington so we might not need to debate Whittington vs UCLH anymore soon.

Just started a new thread on this:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/politics/921839-Closure-of-maternity-services-at-Whittington-Hosp ital-North-London

Nothing helpful to add (sorry) but I'm so relieved to have opened this thread and seen good things about the Whittington, as I'm booked in there and due in 3 days! My experience with their antenatal care has been fine, although they are always busy and sometimes seem less than organised, but I'm sure any large city hospital would be similar.
notanumber makes an excellent point, there will always be horror stories but these are a tiny percentage.

There is a 'much of a muchness' about big London hospitals which it is wise to keep in mind. They are all busy, understaffed, overstretched etc.

However, I have heard generally good things about the Whit. I did some antenatal teaching for a while in N London, and feedback seems to be that the standard of care from MWs is pretty good, although postnatal care a bit patchy (prob similar to most London hospitals, I'd imagine). A few very experienced doulas on MN speak very highly of it.

I had my second baby at UCH in 2008 and cannot speak highly enough of the care I received. However, I had a high risk pregnancy and elective section. This is what UCH are terrific at. There is nowhere in the world you would rather be for a high risk pregnancy/birth, particularly if your baby is going to need special care afterwards. Not sure how great their reputation is for more natural births. They have a birthing centre, but I don't know much about it.

If you are low risk and want the whole water birth, low intervention thing, Edgware birthing centre is supposed to be good.

I had the choice of Whittington or UCL and chose Whittington. My experience was good and it was just before they opened their fancy birthing centre so I can only imagine it is better now.

Def take the tour to get a feel but take more notice of the staff than the shabby corridors! I was lucky to catch all my antenatal midwives working while I was in labour so felt almost like I was with family!

Also you can't park for sh*t near UCH so Whittington was much less stressful for my hubby and friends to visit!

I am in the process of transferring to the Whittington from the Royal Free at 33 weeks, even though the Royal Free is nearer. No idea whether the Whittington will accept me, I guess it doesn't really matter if they don't, although v nice midwife whom I spoke on the phone didn't seem to think it was a problem (live a little further away).

I had both my DD(6) and DS(3) at the Royal Free - the care in labour (MLU) was very good but the after care is not that great but don't think so different to anywhere else - after all its not ideal sharing a room with 3 other mums and their crying babies, when you need to sleep but this didn't matter with DS as got discharged home straight from labour ward - and they let DH stay overnight in the room with me (DS born at midnight).

I hope to get discharged straight from the labour ward again, reason I am hoping to move is:

a) new birth centre at Whittington looks amazing & have heard good things
rooms
b) there are 5 rooms and 4 have pools (I really want to use water) - at the RF they have 3 birth centre rooms only one with a pool. Although I could go to Edgware, too nervous as DD born in MLU at RF blue and not breathing and was glad to be in big hospital as crash team where there right away and she was fine
c) at the RF need to turn up in labour into triage to be assessed and then sent to MLU - at the Whittington can book in in advance and actually met the birth centre staff to discuss preferences.

An advantage of the RF though is that you can park in labour - although would be hard to find space in car park if you arrived 9-5 during the week.

You are going to hear horror stories about all (London) NHS hospitals, and I haven't heard anyone saying good things about the aftercare anywhere thats just the way it is. Its down to your midwife on the day and how your labour goes.

Whittington is dire.Awful physical environment.Terrible midwife's.don't go

chose UCLH,if u had any complications from Whittington they would transfer you to Royal free any way

Niceshoes - that isn't true. A lot of high risk cases are transferred to the Whit from the Royal Free.

As for the physical environment, the post natal wards are not great, I grant you, but that is an issue across London. The Whit's new birth centre is fabulous and the midwives I met were very good.

you cant say not true,it was my experience.whittington was barbaric.midwifes brusque and unskilled

Actually, the postnatal wards are of a good standard in the new UCH maternity wing. Very clean, more spacious than other hospitals I have visited. The labour suites are great - big, private bathroom, most have their own equipment (birthing balls etc).

My only complaint about UCH is if you are having your regular MW appts there. Their clinics are always heaving and running late and their is quite a brisk, businesslike approach from the MWs, too.

Maternity ward much better, though.

it is true, though. You will get hororr stories about all the London hospitals.

The point about transferring you to the RF if you are a complicated case is the bit I was referring to. I have met a few who transferred the other way precisely because they were complicated.

UCH is great, I thoroughly recommend it. Sounds like both hospitals are good.

i had ds at the whittington and they were bloody marvellous, the midwives were fab and when i was rushed to theatre for forceps, the doctors there were great and midwife agnes was a legend!!! i must say i did tell the dr that was giving me pain relief i loved him!!!!!!

Point is you can ask many mums about labour ward and get a range of answers,all correct if was their birth experience.

Yes its right that people get transferred from RF to whittington esp if go into labour early - my friend is GP in the area - said that the neonatal intensive care at RF is not as good as the whittington so anyone who goes into labour very early booked at the RF gets transferred to the whittington.

Due to the nature of birth, in any hospital will be those who had good experience and those had had a bad experience - in fact 2 women could have the same experience and one would think it good the other would think it bad.

And yes seem mad they are thinking of closing the whittington maternity services after spending all that money on the birth centre!

You're right there MumNWLondon - couldn't believe that when I saw that in the local paper. Would be a total waste of money.

that is crazy if they are thinking of closing down whittington maternity with all the brand new things there
ive only heard all about the a&e but not that!!!

I am so annoyed about the plans to close Whittington maternity and A&E that I started a blog about this:

whittingtonmum.wordpress.com/

I live in Wood Green - UCLH and Royal Free are absolutely miles away for me. If they close the Whittington I will have no choice but go to North Middlesex...

There's also a public meeting tonight in Hornsey with North London NHS bosses answering questions...you bet I've got a few about the proposed closures

Its only 2 miles from the Whittington to the Royal Free - so hard to say the Royal Free is miles away if the Whittington is local.

But still ridicolous to be closing A&E/maternity both big hospitals serving big populations, just they are a bit near each other.

As I said I have decided to transfer from RF even though its around 6 miles to the Whittington (probably same distance as you to RF, only around 4 miles from me to RF) as I got annoyed by their policy that you can't book into the birth centre - I don't want to go to triage on arrival - where in all likelihood they will want to attach me to a monitor thing and do an internal exam. Also much more pools at Whittington birth centre and its newer. I have though had 2 very good experiences at RF birth centre (including one the week it opened in 2003) - just then you could book it.

The Whittington is 2.6 miles away from where I live. So going to RF would pretty much double the distance.

From Wood Green you have to walk to Turnpike Lane and then take two (!) buses to get to RF. I would have to take one bus to Archway (where the Whittington is) and then change to take another.

And no - I don't have a car.

And just to report back from the public meeting with NHS bosses last night:

Rachel Tyndall and Richard Sumray failed to present convincing data or evidence for the A&E and maternity closure.

More on the meeting here:
whittingtonmum.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/high-profile-nhs-panel-struggles-to-present-case-fo r-ae-closure/