West Midlands maternity hospitals

[Shmpx]

Hi, so currently pregnant with my first. And had chosen Worcester to give birth but after the reports and articles I have seen this year about severe understaffing, rude midwives I have experienced and to be honest just a lack of care towards me so far I’m very keen to change where I give birth asap. I would be willing to travel around Birmingham as I’m sort of in the middle.

So does anyone have any suggestions/experiences they could share? I’m not finding much online, getting nervous and have just over a month to go now

Hi also from the midlands!

If you are that far out of area in terms on being in Worcester, im not sure a Birmingham hospital would take you. I say this because im north bham and Birmingham women’s wouldn’t take me.

In bham the care is pretty dire at this moment in time. City have suspended their home birth team and have at points closed the MLU due to dangerously low staffing levels. Same story for good hope (and as they are part of the same trust heartlands and likely Solihull). Not sure about the women’s but they wouldn’t take me apparently, especially late in the day.

I was offered Worcs, Bham Womens or Warwick with my first, went to Worcs fine so went again this time and I've not been very happy (not with the staff face to face, they've been ace). I wish I'd gone to Warwick this time tbh but I'm so close to the end I'm just going to stick.

Worcs award-winning MLU is closed for the foreseeable due to staffing, this is after it being the covid centre for ages. The continuity of carer things is a joke, I don't know why they even claim to offer it as they just can't do it and from what I can gather that's what's triggered a lot of the staffing issues anyway. Fortunately every midwife I have seen- and there have been a lot- has been lovely so I'm sorry you've found the odd bad egg. And their insistence on using the Badger app despite so many people flagging up issue with it that they 'fixed' but is now happening again...it's shocking management really.

Feel free to PM me if you like but if you're the Brum side of Worcs you might still have options. Nobody mentioned Solihull to me but that might be another?

Solihull has serious staff issues too, it’s part of the same trust as good hope xx

I should say as well that to be fair to Worcester Royal they were pretty good last time and I'm not worried about actually going there again for my induction/birth etc, it's more the crap organisation and admin that's upset me during the pregnancy. The care in the hospital itself, although vulnerable to staffing, has always been reassuringly decent.

@Sleeplessem

Solihull has serious staff issues too, it’s part of the same trust as good hope xx

Ah okay. That doesn't bode well then. Last time I checked South Warwks still had their MLU open so that might be where all the staff have migrated to?

I've had both of mine at Bham women's and have had very positive experiences with both. I would recommend them. However, as a PP has said, they perhaps might not take you.

I’m mid ground as well and will be giving birth in Worcester. I had a choice of that or Birmingham hospitals.

I’ve chosen Worcester as I received care at both last year during lockdown for a complex mmc. Worcester was by far the better care provider and care received during this pregnancy has been second to none. Birmingham was dismissive and didn’t give a monkeys.

I aim to give birth in the birth centre but if that is closed due to staff shortages I will happily go to main birth suite.

I wish I'd gone to Warwick this time tbh but I'm so close to the end I'm just going to stick.

I'm at Warwick and the experience has been a million miles from what people having their friends here have had. I've had an absolute fight to be seen for reduced movements, and my appointments keep being cancelled at the last minute. There's a massive staff shortage, and the updates at the moment are that most people aren't managing to use the MLU, as there's not enough midwives. Of the 272 babies born in August, only 21 were born in the MLU, and 1 at home.

I've been seriously considering begging the Women's Hospital to take me, but I don't think they would given the current situation.

I had my baby at Worcester and they were amazing. I had to be induced and had a quick labour, the midwives were so great from start to finish I have no complaints at all. I was also put off by what I had read but people only seem to report the bad stuff not the good. I'd recommend Worcester to anybody.

Shouldn’t be @8dpwoah all I’d have thought they’d shared between the same nhs trust and Solihull is part of the heart of England which is heartlands, Solihull, and good hope. All of it seems dire doesn’t it.

I’m considering begging bham women’s. I’m booked at city and the fact that they close the MLU terrifies me, as I had an induction on delivery suite before and I can really really see how women get abused during birth. The maternity ward post birth was an utter disgrace as well, every single person working on the night shift was in the wrong profession.

This really is a dire situation isn't it when we are talking about three or four trusts that cover a massive, massive area and only one or two people have positive things to say about any of them.

Perhaps it is better the devil you know then for all of us?

Ah I see, Birmingham hospitals was an option at the start along with Russell’s hall too so should still be now.

If staffing is an issue all over then I’m unsure if things will be better elsewhere, hearing a few of you have had good experiences puts me at ease slightly but still unsure. These online articles about worcs severe understaffing don't help either. My dating scan midwife was very unfriendly And missed information, other scans or bloods they were lovely or at other hospitals. And speaking on the phone (maybe I keep ending up with the same bad egg) they have not been very helpful/nice a few times.

I contracted Covid at one point and they didn’t care, I had reduced movements so went to a different nearby hospital worried and was told he’s measuring small. I’ve had to really push for growth scans with worcs.

I'm thinking that knowing there are issues might make me more alert to them (was very passive last time but as I say the care was good and they seemed to riding high at the time) if you see what I mean.

I'd recommend keeping an eye on the Worcestershire Maternity Voices Facebook page too, they are really proactive and you do get nuggets of info from the managers when they do their webinar things, I think they are very aware that eyes are on them.

Interestingly I saw on that group the other day someone questioning the very high rates of c sections in Worcs so I'll be interested to see what comes of that- my inference there is that although they are obviously very short of midwifery staff maybe the same doesn't apply to the doctor/surgeon staffing section?

The other slight glimmer of hope for me is that they take a lot of students and they're back now. I had a phenomenal one last time to the extent I emailed the uni to say how impressed I was, and having them around on the wards did seem to ease the load on the qualified staff for the basic stuff (answering buzzers and helping you do simple but important things, keeping you updated etc).

@Shmpx

Ah I see, Birmingham hospitals was an option at the start along with Russell’s hall too so should still be now.

If staffing is an issue all over then I’m unsure if things will be better elsewhere, hearing a few of you have had good experiences puts me at ease slightly but still unsure. These online articles about worcs severe understaffing don't help either. My dating scan midwife was very unfriendly And missed information, other scans or bloods they were lovely or at other hospitals. And speaking on the phone (maybe I keep ending up with the same bad egg) they have not been very helpful/nice a few times.

I contracted Covid at one point and they didn’t care, I had reduced movements so went to a different nearby hospital worried and was told he’s measuring small. I’ve had to really push for growth scans with worcs.

Gosh that’s dire, I’m booked at city and as the home birth team has been shut, I’ve asked to be transferred to the women’s and I’ve been told no as I’m too far along in the pregnancy, and they won’t accept referrals this late (I’m only 30 weeks)

If you manage to get accepted there would you update me please so I can beg for it too 🙂🙂

I am due to give birth at Worcester also similar to you I have seen all the stories in the papers but I also work there (in an admin role not clinical) and know that this is the same in most hospitals as staffing is a real issue.
I had my first child at Worcester and couldn't fault them and so far the care I have received has been amazing (I've had 4 previous miscarriages so have had regular scans throughout and they have been so understanding and lovely). Hope you work out what to do xxxx

Just for anyone using or looking at Worcester, there was actually a Q&A today by the looks of it and the summary and comments underneath the video on the Worcester MVP Facebook page are quite interesting. Plus a lady saying she was told she couldn't transfer to Warwick as she was past 28 weeks so that might be useful for info for people on this thread too.