"Complete lack of communication"

Whilst most of the members of staff are brilliant, in my opinion, the lack of communication in this place is a complete joke.

After my waters breaking at a routine appointment I was taken to the Labour ward to be told quickly I would need an emergency c section the midwife’s at this stage where fantastic at reassuring me as I was there alone until my birth partners arrived. Whilst having my c section I cannot fault the staff who where in the room for making my feel at ease in an anxious and stressful situation and tried their best to keep me calm.

I stayed for 5 days and whilst most of the midwife’s were fantastic I was released basically unable to walk and in excruciating pain without having my wound dressing checked. Even when I returned the following day to have my babies jaundice checked a midwife passed a comment on how I was struggling to walk.

2 days passed of being at home and I was taken back in to hospital where I required further surgery for a wound infection and flesh eating bug. I spent time in intensive care whom I could not fault but was unable to have my baby in with me at this time.

When my health improved I was then moved back to the Labour ward whilst the staff where lovely and helpful there where occasions where I was left with no buzzer and the lack of communication showed especially when I was handed to other midwife’s with absolutely no handover as to what has happened.

I was also sent from intensive care with a slide sheet as my mobility was limited due to numerous operations and still yet told by midwife’s to move myself up the bed, I also mentioned how my hands had swelled from cannulas and that anything going through them was painful to be told that this was suppose to happen to them be told by a midwife they where done and really needed replacing.

I will however say that the midwife who I was handed over to once had been given a handover I could not fault (Eunice) brilliant midwife and also went as far as to come along to help with wound dressings when I was then moved on to ward 16 as I was very anxious about anyone going near it and see how I was and in my opinion the care improved when she took over.

When taken to ward 16 I was taken along by a porter and felt like I was basically dumped in a bay where nobody actually came anywhere near for over an hour when my family called the ward to say this I was told they where short staffed. During my time in here I witnessed dirty shower rooms with mess being left from one afternoon until the following days lunchtime. I was also made to feel like a nuisance for needing help to get to my baby or feed him (by some members of staff whilst most where lovely) with several drips of constant antibiotics in my arm and a stomach full of staples.

The time came to finally be released from hospital I was instructed on how to care for the wound. When the staples were to be removed by the district nurse I was then sent back to Labour ward which the room I was sent to was yet again dirty used packaging lying on the floor, as the wound was opening again.

The midwife this time was Rachel who was lovely and very empathetic towards the situation and caring and managed to get all the staples out gently!

The consultant instructed my mum that the wound would need dressed and packed daily and expected my mum to do this after a rare infection whilst caring for my children who I was unable to look after due to being so unwell and was released again without any help what so ever and told to basically deal with it ourselves

It felt like I had to fight to be given district nurses daily to tend to my wound as i couldn’t exactly pack and dress it myself and also for physio due to my mobility being poor after all this.

I believe the complete lack of communication was ridiculous and could have been avoided. I feel like all in that month is a month I will never get back with my newborn baby. It has also put me off having any more children after the experience I was with this place.