"Never again will we attend UCH."

What I liked

Not applicable

What could be improved

Staff knowledge and ability!

Anything else?

My wife was put through an horrendous ordeal becuse of the shortsighted nature of one of your staff members. We travelled across London (from Crystal Palace) to get to UCH when my wife had gone into labour. Purely because she was a first time mother she was sent home, even though the contractions were very close together, quickly gettign closer and other simple indicators pointing to an imminent birth.

This was at 0800H, after which we were asked to go home and come back the next day! So, trusting the staff member who seemed more concerned about us not using up one of her rooms (a number of which were apparently empty anyway!), we went home, in a cab, through rush hour with my wife screaming in the back.

After an excruciating journey back home, and 30 minutes at home of my frantic and failed efforts to curb her incredible pain, I called an ambulance who arrived within 5 mins and took us to Kings College Hospital, where she gave birth within an hour.

To the staff member who put my wife through the most horrendous pain due to their shortsighted, failed attitude and general apathy; who put me through the ordeal of standing helplessly as my wife writhed in agony; who created the catalyst for the situation that led to my babys distressed birth with an emergency paediatrician...You are a disgrace.

We were led to believe that UCH was a professional hospital, but in many more ways than what you have just read, it fails abysmally.

We'll stick with Kings College Hospital now, they are professional and caring and provided us with more instruction and advice, guidance and care in a few short days than the maternity term through which we attended UCH.AccommodationAmbulanceMaternityAttitudeEmergencyPatient care