"Rude staff with no compassion or empathy"

I have to say after been advised by numerous patients and other mothers not to refer to Northwick Park, I thought I would try it out myself and give them a chance as everyone’s experiences is different.

I’ve encountered 2 miscarriages in the past two years and both times I was badly treated from the staff at Northwick park. I was thrown around to Southall and Wembley for appointments to the EPU as Northwick park could not see me in a 3-day window. Both times I had miscarried at home alone and without any treatment. Staff were terrible and the waiting times are unreal. I understand that the hospital is busy, but on numerous occasions we were told they are “understaffed”. I had bled out and no advise was given.

I am now pregnant once again and my GP being concerned about my treatment referred me to a consultant at Northwick Park for closer monitoring. With having to attend the maternity ward during late hours for monitoring, the midwives are terrible. Extremely rude, one of the midwives had actually given patients dirty looks and gave the impression that they were bothering the midwife when they came in. One midwife told me they did not have a room to use the Doppler, therefore they took me in a room close to the waiting area, made me lift up my dress whilst standing, heard the heartbeat and walked out, leaving me exposed in my underwear with the door wide open. Other patients obviously looked in the room as the midwife left and could see me without clothes on. No dignity or respect at all.

There have been at least 7 encounters of rudeness I’ve experienced myself and today as I needed to go in for a final scan, the receptionist in the antenatal department was literally shouting at me saying I was meant to book in an appointment during my last consultant appointment, even though I wasn’t advised to do so. There’s a lot of expecting mothers waiting for care, and having to wait at least 1-2 hours to have these check ups by midwives and receptionists. I’m 36 weeks and self-referring to another hospital! It's quite upsetting given that i only live 5 minutes from the hospital, so the convenience would have been amazing. But after the treatment received I wouldn't want to give birth with no confidence in the staff.