Royal Free or Barnet General???

[stickybean]

Still very early days for me (7 wks) but am going to the Dr on Friday to get myself 'in the system'. I will need to choose where i want to be referred to.

I have heard horror stories about both but especially about Barnet.
I like the idea or midwife led, which you can have at both i think.

Does anyone have experiences of either or these hospitals?
I don't know how to begin comparing or making a decision.
Any advice very gratefully appreciated

I had my first baby at the Royal Free in the Birth Centre - was in the birthing pool for most of labour but got out to give birth (my decision). It was brilliant. Can't recommend it enough. However, I was lucky to have had a midwife with 30 years experience to look after me when it came to giving birth. I would bear in mind that if you go for a birth centre you are likely to get care from a more experienced midwife as they like the autonomy of working in these places. Ds is now almost 4 and I am about as far on as you with no3! (fingers crossed)
The midwife sent me home quickly though as she said the postnatal care in the hospital was terrible - I took her at her word... That may have changed now though.

Had dd at Royal free (6 years ago today) but it has changed a lot since, BAD experience. Had ds at Barnet (3 years ago) was a better experience but not great either. SOrry. Mind you I think with all hospitals you will hear some good and some bad. Parking is lousy at Royal Free btw.

I had ds at St Mary's and this one will be at Queen Charlottes so I only know your hospitals by reputation but would say that the RFC's is pretty good. ALL post natal care is a bit ropey so don't go on that. With a bit of luck, you won't have to stay in for long anyway.

Congratulations fellow bean!!

Agree with CoV, parking at Royal Free is terrible... but wasn't really an issue when it came to it. We parked at A&E entrance in the end and then dh came back and moved the car.

I dont know much about the Royal Free, but I know that the Barnet and Chase Farm PCT are suffering sever cutbacks - particularly on staff.

I'd not go to either - I'd rather have a baby at home if I ever do it again.

Parking not great with either during the day, tbh.

I don't want to scare you but there was an article in the Evening Standard about hygiene at Barnet yesterday. They sent an undercover reporter in and the article is quite alarmist - no surprise there as ES has same publishers as the Daily Mail.

www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23431060-details/Standard+reveals+hospital+workers+flouting+ basic+rules+on+hygiene/article.do

Barnet was the hospital featured in Panorama too!!! I have to say though - it's better than the more-local-to-me Chase Farm

Am having LO at Royal Free - am very happy with them so far. Midwives are wonderful and v. reassuring to a first time anxious mum.

Have no experience of Barnet.

Thank you all so much for your replies. My gut feeling is to go with the Royal Free. It was what i thought prior to getting pregnant. But after an experience at EPU in Barnet i was thinking better the devil you know...But i am sure the EPU and delivery suite will be very different places.
I think i'll go for the Royal Free.

Do you have all your midwife appts there?
The midwife in my Drs surgery only sees ladies booked in at Barnet.

Had my first two and a miscarriage at Barnet and they were great, couldn't fault them. Boys are nearly 10 and 7 years old now, so a bit out of date.

Am seen at RF for scans and by the midwife in the local clinic for inbetween.

Have found all the medical people very calm and patient with a talkative, nervous first-time mum.

i have experienc eof the early pregnancy unit at Barnet, as had a m/c there. Nice, clean hospital, staff I encountered were lovely, but it was very ramshackle. There were lost notes and confusion over appointment times all over the gaff 0 not just for me, but for several other women in at the same time as me.

I had a bad experience at the Royal Free in 2005. Without being doom-monger-ish about it, the maternity unit tour presents a very different image from the reality of the hospital. I would never set foot in the hospital again. Sorry, I know that's very strong, but my experience was really that bad. Where abouts are you? The Whittington is supposed to be quite good, according to several women I know who have had their babies there.

Sorry - it's all anecdotal, isn't it? you'll be even more confused now!

I had a positive birth experience at the midwife led unit in Barnet General over a year ago and am soon to return, so it can't have been that bad! The aftercare wasn't good though so be prepared. If you give birth on the MLU you get a private room afterwards which is nice.

I have friends who went to the RF and they say the aftercare was awful too, so I think it's fairly standard regardless of where you go in London. However the car parking situation isn't good there so you might want to consider that.

On the hygiene front in Barnet, I have to say I didn't witness anything dodgy and as a family, we've used the children's ward, the senior citizens ward and the midwife led unit in just under 2 years. (Yes, we've had an eventful time ;)