Kings Versus Guys and St Thomas

[shortandsmall]

Hi,

Its my first pregnancy. I just wanted to get some advice regarding having a baby at Kings Vs Guys and St Thomas. I have much more experience of Guys and St Thomas Maternity Unit due to work. However King's is closer to home. I am concerned about safety of care as I know all hospitals are stretched but in particular King's A+E has already been having extreme pressures this winter. Baby would be due next summer.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

I posted the same q recently. I went with Kings as it was closer to home. However, I had an awful experience and have now transferred to St Thomas’. Are you in the catchment for both?
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will try to answer based on my experience.

@Robs20 Thanks so much for such a quick response. I presume I would be - I live in Camberwell/Peckham and I know people come to St Thomas from all over.

I have a few questions:

• What is the antenatal care like - do you get the same midwife, or at least same few?
• What was so awful about the experience if you don't mind me asking? And what made you switch?
• Does the maternity ward seem clean and safe? Does it seem like there are enough midwifes?

What is access like to the early pregnancy unit and maternal assessment unit?

Thanks so much, any advice is greatly appreciated

I'm 34 weeks and with Kings. I'm also Camberwell, so had to make the same decision as you and I'm really pleased with my choice.

So far the care there has been excellent. I've seen the same lovely midwife at every appointment, except for one when she let me know in advance that she'd be away and her equally lovely colleague covered.

Scans are at the Harris centre which has incredible facilities.

I had to go to maternity triage a few weeks ago (which is in the birth Center) a few weeks ago with reduced movement and I was really impressed - I was seen within 10 minutes and it was all calm and lovely.

No idea what the birth experience will be like yet, but so far the signs are good!

@shortandsmall my experience was probably a one-off but essentially:

• midwife was rude and dismissive of my history (dd1 died at the start of this year). Refused to book me in with a consultant before 34 weeks despite previous loss and current pregnancy being twins
• they managed to get my blood results wrong. Told me I am rhesus negative. I questioned it and when I has bloods redone at St Thomas’ I am actually A+
• dismissive of mental health issues (I see a therapist weekly and am under psychiatrist care due to ptsd). I explained this and she ticked ‘no’ to all mental health qs at the booking appt
• moaned that sonographers are ‘all foreign and whisper in foreign which upsets patients’ and that midwives often refer women to see a consultant but they all ‘lack empathy and often refuse to see women who are there’
• complained to pals who escalated to head of midwifery and I’ve heard nothing

Positives

• everything was clean
• Kings is supposed to be v good and takes part in some advanced trials (eg the use of progesterone in women with recurrent miscarriages). Some friends have given birth there and antenatal care was good

Everything has been fine at St Thomas’. They have been v thorough and empathetic.

If you are low risk I would go with whichever is easier to get to!

Thank you so much both!