Kingston or St Georges?

[MiniBump2017]

Which do you think is better? Anyone have any experiences or views?

Are you meaning for having a baby, or more generally?

To have a baby

I had mine at St George's (five years apart). Thought the care on the Labour Suites was brilliant but a lot less impressed by the Post-Natal Ward (and care!). However, it is during the birth that one needs the first rate care/attention so I wouldn't be put off by that.

I have friends who had their DCs at Kingston Hospital and friends who've had theirs at St George's (and even a few who've gone to St Helier) - people seem to plump for one or the other for all their births (unless, I guess, they've had a bad experience), so it's not that easy to compare/contrast.

I think I opted for St George's on the grounds that it's a teaching hospital and why would one choose a smaller hospital when one had the option of the former with all its expertise?

Granted there have been many issues highlighted recently in St George's CQC ratings. However, I recall that Midwifery was singled out as a speciality of excellence (one of my friends is a midwife there, hence my interest and recollection of that positive among the many negatives of the CQC report).

Good luck!

I'm out of date, but at the time (8 years ago) that I had my dd at Kingston, a friend had her baby at St Georges and had an awful experience, and then chose Kingston for her second. I think that if you're a high risk pregnancy it's definitely sensible to go there, as they have a NICU, but for a low risk pregnancy I chose Kingston as (at the time) it had lower intervention and C-section rates.

Also worth considering the ante-natal care - Kingston does it at St Mary's Roehampton for people living in Wimbledon, which is a lovely calm place with plenty of parking (though a bit of a slow bus ride). Unlike St Georges, which is neither calm nor easy to park in. I only went to Kingston for the actual birth.

My experience is not recent (DDs are 11 and 9). Problematic first childbirth following on from being induced and ending in emergency C section at St George's. Couldn't fault the staff in the delivery suite, the aftercare was a different story and it was a traumatic experience as a first time mum. They were understaffed hugely, unsympathetic, brusque, uncaring. I could not face returning to St George's for the second birth. This next time I had a planned C section, so altogether less stressful but a vast difference in after care, staffing levels and attitude of the staff. If you're in and out in a day or so I'm sure you'd be fine at either but any longer and I'd avoid St George's. I feel bad saying that knowing the problems the NHS are facing but I can only share my experiences.

Sorry I didn't say my second birth was at Kingston