Should I change hospital? WWYD?

[GivenchyDahhling]

I’m currently 30+1 and have been under the care of Basildon Hospital. I self-referred as at the time I didn’t have a local GP (laziness plus very easy access to a private GP through DH’s insurance meant it was never an issue so I stayed registered at the family home I moved out of 10 years ago). To be clear I have been really happy with the care so far. Although the midwives have been different each time they’ve all been very caring, never had to wait, sonographers were excellent, super friendly nurses for blood tests, kind receptionists etc etc. The maternity unit is a completely different building to the hospital which I like, plus a few years ago it was the first mat unit in the UK to be rated “outstanding”.

I have now registered at a GP which falls within the Southend Hospital catchment area - however, distance-wise Basildon is still considerably closer and much easier to get to. When I had my new patient assessment the nurse said something along the lines of, “I take it you’ll be switching to Southend Hospital” which surprised me, and I said no I was happy with Basildon.

However, since then I have seen that Basildon’s mat unit was recently downgraded to “requires improvement” for what seems to be safety reasons (storage of medication, emergency protocols etc). Additionally, a friend of mine gave birth last month and had a horrendous experience where the entire unit was closed due to it being completely full and she was turned away and told to drive to Colchester. Eventually, by luck she was seen by a midwife who realised she needed to push, and she gave birth in a side room - however, although thank goodness the baby was fine she had some significant complications as a result of the delivery.

I am therefore seriously considering changing although like I said, my personal experience has been nothing but positive. I am low risk so hope to give birth in the lovely midwife led unit (and another friend had a great experience here last year and was home in a matter of hours). I also think a 15 minute drive over a 40 minute one when the time comes will be a big advantage. But I have now got these seeds of doubt in my mind so wondering WWYD?

Sorry - this is going to waffle on a bit!
I cannot offer advice as to what I would do, but I can say that ANY delivery suite can close at any time due to being ‘full!’ It is unfortunate for your friend but it is also ‘one of those things’ and she is lucky to have been seen by a MW who realised she wouldn’t make it to the alternative! Delivery suites also have to work closely alongside their neonatal units and take into account their capacity too, and whether they have any mums having babies likely to require neonatal assistance!
With my first, delivery suite was full and I was having a very fast labour on the antenatal ward! The ward had no private rooms available either so instead of delivering in an 8 bedded bay they had me in the bathroom (in the bath) behind the nurses station. I could hear them constantly on the phone requesting a room for me over on delivery saying I couldn’t deliver where I was BUT then they would come in and act all calm saying they are all trained midwives and I would be fine there blah blah blah! Eventually I did get rushed into a room on delivery suite and all was ok!
Whilst it may be a scary thought having your chosen hospital say they are closed due to being full, it could happen in any hospital (and actually happens more often than you may think) and at least you have another hospital in fairly close range!
My ONLY option to deliver in is over an hours drive away and much longer in holiday traffic - I am 37 weeks tomorrow and have very fast deliveries! If that hospital turns me away it is probably another 2 hours + to get to the next closest hospital! I am also high risk so have to deliver on delivery suite, but even if I were low risk and to choose a birthing centre - they are equally just as far a drive away! As a result I am now booked in for an induction in 12 days because the consultant doesn’t want to chance me delivering in the car at the side of the road!
I would rather be in your situation and have 1 hospital within 15 mins and another within 40mins! I would also stick to the hospital I have been happy with the care at. Just because the other hospital has a better rating doesn’t mean you will have a better experience there. You can have a bad or good experience anywhere and totally different to that of other people!
xxx

I don't know anything about Basildon Hospital with regards to the Maternity unit but the hospital itself has an awfully bad reputation with regards to cleanliness and preventable death etc.

I gave birth at Basildon end of January.

The staff are absolutely lovely.

However my birth was high high risk and my consultant wouldn’t sign me off to have my baby at the birth unit.

I was meant to be closely monitored and my bloods taken every hour.

What happened was, I was left alone and started pushing on my own, dp only realised about twenty seconds before dc was born and the midwives raced in and caught dc as I had her.

I loved the birth as I was left to get on with it & had the gas and air which is what I needed.

But had the worse happened it doesn’t bear thinking about.

I’m pretty sure if I chose to pursue it I have very good grounds for complaint. I was ignored when I told the midwives I was in labour, as I was only two cm dilated they decided I want in actual labour and wouldn’t give birth till the morning (I went in at 11pm), I had my baby at 2:45 am.

They disregarded the fact that I was telling them I was in labour, the fact that I had previous children so know when my body’s is telling me I’m about to have my baby, they did none of the checks they were meant to and it could have gone so so wrong.

I would change hospitals. But find out what Southend hospital is like first.

Thanks all for your responses - I think I’m especially on edge about the ward being full as in due in September which I think statistically is a big spike being 9 months after Christmas! So you’re right @Lexyness any of the hospitals near me (I’m also close to Romford Queens and Chelmsford Broomfield) could have that happen.

Sorry you had such an awful experience @VapeVamp12 and thank goodness it ended up complication free. The fact they ignored you is worrying. This is my first so I feel more vulnerable not knowing what is normal - I’m pretty pushy as a person (ha!) but you do put so much faith in HCPs and assume they know best.

@givenchydahhling @frazzledasarock
I was ignored with dc1&2 when I said I was in labour! Hence why with dc1 I ended up in antenatal ward! With dc2 she was very fast but they didn’t believe me, when they Decided to check (can’t have been very long after I got there when they thought they best see how I was) the MW walked in and basically told me to stop pushing Cos she wasn’t ready yet - no gloves etc, and out came my daughter, caught by the midwife! (And no I wasn’t pushing either, she just shot out!)
My current mw believes after hearing the whole story that I was probably ready to have her within 20minutes! (entire labour) hence why I am being induced - I don’t think the air ambulance would even get me there on time if I went to labour at home lol!
Anyway @givenchydahhling as I said, you will hear both good and bad stories for ALL hospitals - same as hotels and schools I suppose! x

Lexyness my birth was slightly different as being high risk and the fact I was meant to have my bloods monitored hourly, they weren’t. Baby was supposed to be monitored, she wasn’t.

I also gave birth whilst the midwives were screaming don’t push. Like my body would suddenly stop and wait🙄

I had my previous baby at Queens Romford they were brilliant.

@frazzledasarock I’m hoping this time won’t be like yours - they are insisting on hospital delivery due to high risk and monitoring same as you! And baby needs monitoring after too, They said if I deliver at home due to how quick my births are I’d have to be rushed to hospital anyway 🙄 It’s my first time at this hospital and I’m slightly terrified tbh - definitely doesn’t have the same standards as my previous hospital and that was bad enough tbh! But I don’t have the choice that most people do! Only hospital with a delivery suite in the whole county! Every little twinge now I’m in a panic, seem to have permanent BH and frequent back ache, and this heat is torture! Can’t wait for the kids to finish school so I don’t have to waddle to pick them up anymore!

Oh Lexy, invite sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.

Hopefully this tome your hospital will be on the ball as they are aware you have fast births.

Make sure your partner speaks up for you. So if you’re being told you’ll probably labour for longer he tells them that’s not how your births work.

The midwife who took care of me to start with was really really apologetic. She’s gone on lunch and nobody came in to take over from her as the head midwife had decided I was not having my baby any time soon!

@frazzledasarock it’s not you who scared me lol! I was terrified since going to the hospital for my 12 week scan lol! The hospital just doesn’t compare, it seems really archaic and like they really don’t have the space or facilities they should have lol! Waiting rooms are literally just the main corridor of the hospital which wasn’t a pleasant experience at all. And the scan room was like a little cupboard they’d shoved a machine in, then they sent me next door for my blood tests and that room was even smaller, could barely fit me and the midwife in at the same time, let alone anyone else! I’ve heard horror stories about the actual delivery suite (and stories very similar to ours where the mw’s don’t believe the mums!) fingers crossed my experience is much different lol x