Barnet, Northwick Park, Watford, Hillingdon?

[hfl]

Northwick Park is closest to us, but I am really concerned about it. Does anyone have any comments to make about the level of care offered in any of the others I've listed?

Barnet is about 40mins away in the car - do you think that this is too far?

Well I have the same concerned view re Northwick Park for the obvious reasons. I want a home birth anyway but didn't even want to be under the care of NP. However as they are being watched so closely it's said to be the safest place to have a baby at the moment. A MN poster called Bundle has interviewed staff there and there were a couple of other people who made me feel much better about the place. I've yet to go thee as was initially under the care of Queen Charlotte's.

Whereabouts do you live?

I'm in Pinner. I had my first baby at the ABC midwife led unit at Watford General a nd no 2 at home, planning no 3 at home too.

There is also the Edgware Birthing Unit as an option for you.

Message withdrawn

I had 3 at NPH, no problems but I insisted on a 6 hour transfer and to be home in my own bed the same day. That was really great. I recommend it. Then one twin was born at home with private midwives and the other in Hillingdon where the midwives were allowed in (not all hospitals allow private midwives in). At Hillingdon we came home the same night too so never stayed in either.

oops i had my son at barnet and was in for a few weeks so got to know the staff a bit. there were a few really lovely mws and some blinking awful ones.

I'm currently 21 weeks. We had a bad experience at Hillingdon when my Grandad died, so I was reluctant to go there. I was allocated to Hillingdon, but asked to go to Northwick Park instead.

I believe I made the right decision. No one contacted me from Hillingdon until I was 13 weeks along. Then I got a visit from the community midwife, who was with me for 5 minutes. A woman had gone into labour outside of our area and they were desparately trying to find a midwife to conduct the homebirth. Quite rightly a labouring woman take priority, but it rang alarm bells as they are clearly overstretched.

I have an independent midwife as planning a home birth, but wanted to be sure I got good care should I need to be transferred. The community midwife was condascending about my choice for an independent. Though I didn't have the heart to tell her the reason was the over stretch and the potential for something to be missed on the NHS.

I couldn't get a 12 week scan at Hillingdon, so had to pay to go private. I was fobbed off each time I rang the ultrasound booking number, saying they'd release more slots, however Ealing and Hexham Park had closed their doors to new mums so everyone was being sent to Hillingdon .

Eventually I got a letter at 17 weeks - and surprise-surprise it was for a 22 week scan. They didn't even have the honesty to tell me they were not doing 12 week scans.

Thankfully, in the meantime, Northwick Park accepted me. I went at 18 weeks for my first check (note Hillingdon hadn't even invited me for a check at this point despite being aware of my pregnancy since week 6). And I got another scan, I was in and out within 2 hours, the midwife was lovely and happy with my decision to have an independent too.

Last week I went back for my 21 week scan. I was in and out with hubby within 20 minutes. Based on experiences so far of Northwick park I would thoroughly recommend it. They have enough staff to install confidence. It is just a real shame that other hospitals are not funding their maternity units in the same way.

Good luck.. And apologies .. looks like another long one!

hi hfl

as thomcat mentioned, I've met some of the staff at Northwick Park - they were really lovely and care there has really been turned around since the maternal deaths which occured there. So I think it's really worth a look - but obviously it's best to go with your gut instinct when you visit. Try and think of things which are important to you - whether it's waterbirths, how far from home, obviously continuity of care etc and write things down when you visit. have you had a baby before? do you have any complications?

this is our first and there arent any complications.

but of course i am quite nervous, esp with all this bad press with hospitals and resources. i almost need to stop reading and watching stuff!

Meant to say that since NWP were under special measures they now have an extra 8 midwifes, 3 obstreticians and a new high dependency unit. This all showed when I was there. I also have a friend who is a midwife and says that NWP are the best place now to have a baby.

NWP does have extra staff - retention was a big part of the problems leading to the deaths there.

But there was also a catastrophic lack of communication, bullying amongst staff, poor equipment and overcrowded wards. The ten women who died were all of African or Asian origin, and issues proper translation services/early intervention for vulnerable women have been improved.

The external help they received helped to put clear protocols in place as well as improve staffing etc. The women I spoke to (one with an hour-old baby, who'd known one of the women who'd died) believe it's now a safe place to give birth.

I am 14 weeks pregnant and expecting twins. I am registered with Hillingdon hospital but my initial experience was bad as on the very 1st scan, they had to scan me 4 times to see my second baby.

As we moved to harrow now, m thinking of registering to NPH but not sure. can any one suggest please as its my first pregnancy and I have twins.