Can I change hospital?

[lenga01]

Hello, I'm currently 15 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby and am due to have him/her at St.Georges in London. I really want to change to St. Thomas' but am unsure if I will be able to do this?

I had a really bad experience with my daughter and am now very wary and to be honest scared of it happening again. I have heard a few stories about Georges and the few experience I've had so far have not been great. Would it be as simple as having my doctor arrange the move or does it involve a more lengthy process?

Thanks!

You need to ask your GP asap - it depends where you live and if Thomas' is already full or not for your due date

Good luck

I have heard mostly good things about St George's hospital about being there during labour etc. In fact, one friend said that 10 out of 15 women she knew that had a baby at the same time went to St George's and it was all great. The only thing they are not very good at is the aftercare apparently, but where is on the NHS?

I have heard people that have had a fantastic time and horrific experience at St Thomas' too. It all depends on who is on at the time you are in labour etc.

Good luck with whatever you decide. To be honest, I'm going with St George's as their care for me has been amazing so far and I just have to trust that on the day it will be the same. FXd

By the way, the other 5 ladies went to Chelsea & Westminster or Kingston and there reports were mixed too.

Thanks very much. I think im going to see if it's possible to have look around both places, maybe that will help me a bit more. I think im just feeling really emotional and am starting to worry and get really anxious about anything and everything!

I changed my hospital from Bath to Salisbury last time at 30 weeks when i had been told by 2 midwifes that I couldn't, it transpired they didn't want me to move as it meant rewriting my notes as Salisbury don't accept Bath notes due to them being a different county. I think it's really important that you are happy with where you are going so have a look around both and then hold out for what you want.

I changed at 35 weeks, the hospital I wanted to change to told me what to do and were really supportive

hth

I asked my doctor to register me with St Thomas' three weeks ago (I'm 10 weeks now) but she phoned me today to say they have too many bookings at that time and she advised me to go with St Georges instead. I don't know if it will be any different for you given you're a bit further along.

Have heard mixed reviews for both but went for St Thomas' originally as their EPU were so helpful when I had a miscarriage last year.

I am only 6-7 weeks but I am in the process of changing my hospital although i haven't been yet I have been sent an apt for our local hospital in Oxfordshire and there is no way my partner (or myself if I'm honest) wants me to go there after the way they cared for us and our newborn when we went in a week after he had been born in bham. I had a v bad experience in Oxfordshire (on the postnatal ward) and would go as far as saying they were incompetant as well as cold, rude and lazy and the place is a dump. We are going straight back to Birmingham where we actually had our little one, but it means changing GP according to our doctors yet I had an NHS booklet through the door the other day and in it it actually says when being refferd to hospital by your gp you are allowed to go to any hospital in England.

Course you can, you can change the right up until the end. If you pitch up at St Thomas's with your notes what are they going to do? Seriousy, it is not a problem as they have no idea of how many women will be in on any particular day so if it is full when you are in labour it won't matter if you are booked with them or not, you will be directed elsewhere.

My friend was booked into St Thomas' and was sent away 3 days running as they were too busy to induce her! She had an emergency C section last weekend, in the end, and both her and baby are fine. I went to visit and it does seem lovely - they had spent a long time helping her with breast feeding etc. But it was VERY busy.

It depends on if the hospital has space and whether ur in the right area but if so YES u can.

I booked in at one hospital (supposedly a better hospital) when having my DD in 2007 but I hated it, plus I had a lot of health problems and it was a fair distance away so lots of travelling...

I went thru my midwife and changed at 32 weeks to my local hospital (so much easier to get to, and my community midwife was based there) and I changed no problem. They were really good I just had to go see consultant.

I had a fab expereince and have just booked in there right away this time!

Good Luck

WorldCupBaby

Alfiemommy, your GP has no bearing on which hospital you want to deliver in (or your own home if that is what you prefer).

reikizen, you need a refferal from your gp to get yourself in the system and my gp have told me to be reffered to birmingham womens I have to reregister with the local doctor (in birmingham where my family live) to get reffered. They reffered me to our local hospital which is the one I don't want to be with so I am now in the process of changing gp to get a refferal although according to the literature I had from the nhs your gp can reffer you to any hospital in England but i'll see what the next person tells me.