Horrifying story about how neglect by midwives caused a baby's death.

[Aloha]

I have to say, the attitude of these midwives sounds completely familiar to me. I feel so lucky that I got my caesarean.
When my friend had her baby at the Royal Free I was shouted at for getting her some food because 'she has to get up and get it herself' - she was alone apart from me and had had a baby a few hours before.

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article191790 7.ece

There are hospitals in the USA that make their staff nurses/midwives/staff attend mandatory regular counselling sessions that help them cope emotionally with their jobs. This has proven to be an extremely successful endeavor. Hospitals who focus on increasing their nurse/patient ratios have also met with great success in reducing these kinds of problems.

It seems to me that the powers that be in the NHS just don't get it. They pour money into everything but the staff/patient safety. Fixing this would avoid so many other problems. They constantly throw money at things that won't be fixed unless you sort out the staffing...then they try and cut staffing to pay for it. Why don't they try and get to the crux of the problem? There are so many health care professionals out there with mental health issues due to burn out. So many patients suffer due to this and the lack of staff. It costs so much more money to deal with the complications that arise from lack of staff/staff burnout than it would to guarantee nurse patient ratios.

Make no mistake about it, the managers are intentionally short staffing the wards and no support in any way shape or form is being provided to the frontline staff. I have been nearly suicidal over things that I have experienced at work as an RN. Many people deal with this stuff by getting hardened and nasty.

good post Anoah

Current staffing levels in the NHS are shockingly crap,especially in London seemingly.I agree that this is partly the problem.

However I have to say that I would not dream of:
a)Shouting at a patient or belittling them.
b)Denying them pain relief.

Stress and burnout is a big problem.I think that the NHS as an organisation has very poor structures in situ to deal with staff support.Anoah, that you have had days feeling this bad.I have to say some shifts I do go home and have a good weep.(Work in quite an emotionally intense fast paced area).

Most days it is a case of "firefighting" and crisis control.I do go home paranoid I have forgotten to hand over a vital piece of information or document something.(Sodding paperwork is also a BIG problem in terms of the sheer volume that needs completing)

Sad thing is that nothing seems to change much on the front line.I do hold the current government's obsession with "windowdressing",all these poncy new initiatives and that word "choice" partially responsible..It is all a case of "Style over substance".No attempt to tackle the real issues.

Absolutely horrific!!

The attitude of these midwives sounds completely familiar to me, too. When I was in labour with DS1, I had been left alone (with a very nervous DH) for seven hours. When he pain was really bad, I pressed the buzzer for asistance. When I told the midwife I was in pain she said, "Yes dear, your having a baby", turned on her heals and left.. (There were several other instances of what I consider to be poor care while I was giving birth)
There is no doubt we need more midwives in this country. I have met some wonderful midwives, but unfortunately I've also had the misfortune to be attended by midwives who would obviously much rather be somewhere else.

when i had dd i went straight in when my waters broke and got sent away as they reckomed my contractions had to be at least 5mins apat and 5 mins long (i pointed out to the midwife that they in fact were) but she wouldn't have it and sent me home even though dh and i do not drive and i pointed out to her that we would have no way to get back .

we got a taxi home and 2 mins after we arrived i had to phone the hospital back because i was in agony- she siad i needed to go back i asked for an ambulance she said "you shouldn't have left if you had no transport" so i had to get my dad out of bed in the early hours of the morning to take us back

when we got there i wanted to push there were no wheel chairs at that side of the hospital and i had to walk all the way to the delivery suite, when dh pressed the buzzer we had to wait for 5 mins before she answered the doot and then she left us in a cubical while she went to her pot of tea- i told dh he needed to get her 5 mins later had dd

after i had had my bath dh asked about the anti d injection (you know for if your rhesus neg) she said " you should have mentioned it eariler i haven't had time to read your notes" and then had to fish my placenta out of the bin!!!!