Queen Charlotte vs Chelsea & Westminster

[teebomb]

Any advice for a first timer? I have read horrible reviews for both! Queen Charlotte is closer to home but C&W is more convenient from work but I realise there are more important things to consider than proximity. Can't ask my friends without giving the game away!

lovely, thanks for that and GOOD LUCK yourself, hope all goes well:-)

I second morloth - my ELCS and post-natal care on Ann Stewart ward was excellent. CS was bang on time and I was walking within 3 hours. I gave birth there on the 9th March. The MWs were highly professional, friendly, knowledgeable. I didn't come across a single surly one. Bathrooms were clean, help was given on demand, lots of BF support.

OK so the ward wasn't luxurious and was noisy at times (not as bad as I expected) but I can't fault the care. I was checked by 2 doctors and was visited by my consultant before I was discharged.

I was high risk due to previous neo-natal loss at another hospital and I felt that my consultant (Mark Johnson) oversaw every detail of my ante-natal care and delivery, which was as good as private. I would not hesitate to deliver there again.

I'm only at 13 weeks but registered with QC. I've had very good experiences so far. I waited about 40 mins for my first antenatal appointment, but understood why when it started - the midwife really did have all the time in the world for me. She dealt patiently with every question and didn't seem at all concerned about the time. This is way beyond what I've come to expect of the NHS, as you always feel GPs etc are concerned about the time... I've also now had my first scan and didn't have to wait at all for that - in fact, it started a few minutes early. The sonographer again took her time and did it properly, and had a lot of patience and interest in me as the patient.

So far, so very very good. And I hear they're one of the best units in the country so I feel very lucky. My GP was keen to recommend them to me, and luckily I got accepted.

I'm registered at QC and so far I've been impressed (I'm 18 weeks). I had to wait nearly an hour for my last appointment, but like Ginger, I felt that they had loads of time for me once the appointment started. And I find the fact that they're a specialist hospital incredibly reassuring and nice - it's all about Mums and babies there!

Hi SCG11,

My former colleague, who was training to be an anaesthetist and had done a rotation in Obs & Gynae at QC, chose to have her delivery there. I thought this was a good recommendation. Perhaps she is reading this thread??? You know who you are!!! If you are interested in anaesthetics, in those days the anaesthetic used at QC for an elective c-section was always combined spinal/epidural whereas in most hospitals they use the slightly less invasive and shorter acting spinal anaesthetic. I'm not sure if this is still the case. My friend was aiming to avoid a c-section, so this didn't bother her.

BTW, looking at the older posts on this thread, if people have had terrible experiences at a hospital it is really really really helpful if you can send letters of complaint to the chief executive! That's the only way the senior managers know there's a problem. It won't turn the clock back to give you a better experience, but will make sure the staff involved get a kick up the backside and is the best way to improve things for the future.

Definitely QC! Obviously can't really say that as have only had one DD and so haven't had experience of C&W but I went to Birth Centre at QC and it was just the most wonderful experience I could have wished for. AMAZING midwife and phenomenal care. DH allowed to stay night afterwards and all in all a v magical time. I know I had a straightforward/natural labour, so can't compare experience with being in ward upstairs but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. That coupled with the fact that it does have the best neo-natal care out there, so if, god forbid, something does go wrong, your baby will be in the best possible care. Of my NCT group I was only one at QC - all others at C&W and no-one had as good an experience. The ante-natal care is horrid - long waits and chaotic - but SO worth it for end experience....I've just found out I'm pregnant with 2nd DC (am only 5 weeks) and rushed to GP to get him to book me into QC as they get so booked up I couldn't bear the thought of not getting in there again....

As an update on my views on QC: I've recently had my combined screening tests done. The results have been delayed because first the screening coordinator was on leave, the backup person - the genetic counsellor was on sick-, and now for the past 24 hours their computers have been down. I've had to beg a receptionist for my results but haven't had proper confirmation of these. They haven't had any contingency built in to communicating the results of this standard procedure.

In sum, I feel a bit worried, and anxious about what backup plans might be missing later down the line, eg when I give birth. Everything stopped for 3 weeks as one person was on leave and another was ill. I also can't believe the apparent state of their IT... But they're still one of the best in the country.

My recently experience is similar to 'abitpearshaped'.
I've had 6 children at QCH & had my son there in November & the care both just before my c-section, straight after the c-section (in HDU) and on the ward was rubbish. Staff were rude, sarcastic, insensitive & i heard one bad mouthing me from the midwives station..... she didn't think i knew what to do with a prem baby as i wanted to go home. Had she read my notes she'd had realised i've had 3 prem babies & fully aware of what to do.
Same midwife was rude to me & had an attitude with me when she realised i was being discharged as that meant she then had 3 people to discharge & actually said it to me.
One doctor took blood from me before my c-section & was in such a rush. I've had blood taken 100s of times but i've never been hurt like that before & nearly my whole arm was badly bruised.
Kept in HDU for over 24hrs due to no room on the ward. Was told i needed 2 units of blood yet the midwives were too busy to get it. Wait about 24hrs & only received 1 unit as the midwives felt 1 was enough. Was in alot of pain a couple of days afterwards yet the midwives looked at me like i was a moaning about nothing. Whilst in HDU midwife cleaned my scar & really hurt me as the the fabric of the cloth was pulling the staples & it was stinging.......... she laughed and carried on.
Appointments - I only saw a midwife at my booking in appointment & was seen within the hour. Waiting times to see the doctor was generally 1 hour +.
Was being seen also at the prem clinic & was always kept waiting, once for over 2 hours.
Don't know about other hospitals but i think QCH could do with a bigger waiting area. Sometimes there were no seats!
The ladies doing the scans were miserable.... apart from 1 lovely locum i saw (had extra scans).
Receptionists in the clinic were nice.
On the ward the bathrooms were clean, the food was ok.... got a little repetative but i am a vegetarian so thats my own doing...... lived on their macaroni cheese.... which was actually quite nice lol.
Son was in SCBU for a few days & the nurses & doctors were lovely up there, shames the midwives & doctors elsewhere weren't so nice.

Won't even go into my treatment.... or lack of it when i had my stillborn daughter there in 2002.

Sorry for the negative post but thats how my experience left me feeling. Would i opt for C&W, no.... i've heard negative stuff about there too, so i might as well stay where i am. Plus one of my consultants (he works in the EPU) is wonderful.... and gives me excellent care.

Having the same dilemma as to QC or C&W and also a first-time mummy - decided to go for a tour of each but would love any extra feedback.

Well I was born at QC and I am lovely.
DSis was born at C&W (although was just W then) and she is, erm, a loon.

But this was 40 and 37 years ago.

I am not sure that proximity to work is that important-a deciding factor.

Hi, I am having the same dilemma as you (re. C&W or QC) and am also a first-time mummy and hugely excited! I live nearer QC and the traffic can be awful to C&W but it is such a lovely hospital.... argh! I am going on tours of both soon but am not due until December so I have lots of time. I'll let you know what I decide on and would be very interested to know what you decide. I think we are probably very lucky to have this choice as, at the end of the day, both are excellent!

Good luck!