Hospital - London / Surrey - relocation

[jomari]

I'm due in April 2025 and currently at St Georges in South London. We have recently moved out of London and are temporarily staying with my in laws near Dorking. It's likely that we'll be moving to Ashtead in the coming months although we may need to get a rental either in Surrey or closer to London while we prepare for a permanent move to that area. With everything up in the air I really want to feel comfortable with the hospital that I choose. I've heard good things about Guildford and Kingston but also concerned about accessibility. Have you had any experience with hospitals close to Ashtead? I'd also like to have the option of a private room for after the birth too if staying overnight. Has anyone had any recent experiences of St Georges that they can share? Or of any hospitals in Surrey that they'd recommend?

Epsom Hospital would probably be your nearest with maternity services. No idea what they're like though!

The last CQC inspection of maternity services at Epsom Hospital was not good.

It is not a good hospital.

St Helier is better imo. Kingston is excellent.

Epsom, St Helier and St George's are under the same mgt.

Could you rent in Tolworth/Surbiton to access Kingston?

I gave birth at St Georges for the second time in April 24 and had a really good experience. I had a whole thread running about their CQC report and I also had the deputy director of midwifery ring me to answer my questions when I first booked in. My experience didn't reflect what was said in their report although I recognise i am only a sample of 1 and may have given birth on a "quiet" day! Happy to answer any questions about it generally though. However I'd be a bit nervous about traffic into London whilst in labour if you were to go into labour during the day if you are coming in from Ashtead.

Also, don't underestimate appointments in the third trimester. With DD2, despite being low risk and smooth pregnancy up to that point, I suddenly developed hypertension at 36w and needed BP checks plus monitoring every 2nd day until 39w when I developed preeclampsia. I'd have been exhausted if i was doing a lot of driving up and down to those appointments on top of the stress of everything else.

Is Kingston closer? Their maternity unit is supposed to be excellent and they have lots of private rooms on the postnatal ward. Georges has 4 or 6 i think? Mostly used for parents who need them (we were given one for nearly a week with DD1 as she was in NICU and I wasn't discharged from the postnatal ward for 5 days. It was also during covid so any covid+ mums were using them). It says on the website that technically you can pay to use them but not sure how many of them are ever free enough for general use, if that makes sense.

A friend of mine recently used St Helier and was very positive about her experience although I don't know if that's any nearer for you?

Georges is the only one with a level 3 NICU so if baby needs a high level of care, that's likely where you would be moved to anyway. There were quite a few Kingston mums in the NICU with us at the time.

I've had various care at Guildford, at the EPU and other departments, and I've always had amazing care there. Haven't yet made it to the antenatal side of things but it's a good hospital overall.

New to mumsnet and realise this thread is a bit old so congratulations! We had a really good experience at Guildford (Royal County Surrey). Just in case anyone sees this and it may help.
I have friends who have had babies at East Surrey (Redhill) and said they were fab as well.