"Patient safety and NHS maternity care"

My experience at Princess Royal Maternity left me deeply concerned about patient safety and NHS maternity care.

I attended the hospital in the very early morning, believing my waters had broken. I brought a pad with fluid and told staff I wasn’t sure if it was urine. I was given a speculum exam and told it was definitely my waters — but no diagnostic test was done. I later found out during my C-section that my membranes had been intact the whole time.

I was booked for induction the next day and admitted to a shared ward. I was told I’d be induced within 24–46 hours due to infection risk, per NHS/NICE guidance. But this didn’t happen. I was left waiting, not assessed for dilation unless I asked, and monitored at long 6-hour intervals — sometimes longer — to the point I had to ask staff if I could be checked.

NICE guidelines (CG190) clearly state that after suspected rupture of membranes (PROM), labour should be induced within 24 hours. I was left for 60.5 hours. No urgency. No escalation. I raised concerns, but a senior midwife told me, well, you don’t have an infection yet. I felt like I was being left until something went wrong.

I was exhausted. I had barely slept due to anxiety from delays, lack of communication, and the distressing environment. I was told my baby was measuring large and that an induction could mean assisted delivery using forceps or suction. But I had no faith that there were enough staff to help if that happened. They kept saying they were understaffed due to the bank holiday weekend.

Eventually, I advocated for a C-section. After agreeing, I was suddenly told a space had opened on the labour ward and was offered a hormone drip instead. After everything, I felt I’d just be put on the drip and left. I refused.

During the C-section, doctors confirmed my waters had never broken — meaning the induction plan would likely have failed and possibly led to distress or emergency intervention.

After birth, the issues didn’t stop. I was told to empty my own catheter — which I later learned is not appropriate after major abdominal surgery. I was also discharged without a standard anti-inflammatory given post-section. When I questioned this, I was told it was just missed off my discharge letter.

This wasn’t one bad moment — it was a pattern:

•Misdiagnosis without proper testing.

•Induction delayed beyond national guidelines.

•Infrequent and inconsistent monitoring.

•Unsafe postnatal care.

•No clear communication or accountability.

This experience has left me without confidence in the system. I won’t return to this hospital, and now I’m questioning what it will be like for my next baby. Is this just one hospital — or is this an NHS-wide issue?

I’m sharing my story not just for myself, but for others who might not feel confident speaking up. These aren’t minor mistakes — they were clinical failings. I hope sharing this will lead to change.