"Awful postnatal experience "

There is much financial investment from CCGs which aren’t visibly apparent in the facilities. MAU needs an overhaul as well as the recovery and postnatal unit. I found the facilities dirty and in poor working order (the toilets) in the ward were frequently clogged. My clinical care prior to giving birth was good and birthing midwives hit and miss, one in particular was amazing.

The nightmare started following birth. Recovery unit whilst waiting for transfer was dirty, midwife had pulled off my canula leaving blood exposed on hands, not hearing my worry about this and walking off. Food given was cold and stale haven’t not eaten for few days.

I was transferred to a hospital bed in the ward where the lights were broken and toilets not working. The alarm didn’t always work and sometimes when it did, staff will not come to help. I had the main light on over my bed, making it difficult to sleep - reported many times not fixed during my long stay and wasn’t offered to change until my last day.

Instead of having open access to showers you have bathrooms in the ward, which is awful if you’ve had surgery needing to climb into the bath and avoid getting incision area wet.

The worst part of all were the staff. I found most of them uncaring, some extremely rude and left feeling fearful with my newborn. The receptionist was rude as well as one of the kitchen staff. Food isn’t fresh and nutritious. The clinical assistants, including the midwives were shocking. You will regularly hear they were looking after 8 women and run off their feet. Perhaps if they were given fewer patients to look after they may remember why they chose to come into the caring profession and be kind.

Some midwives pushed their personal agenda for breastfeeding and disregarded clinical advise from doctors to offer formula to manage my child’s clinical condition were confusing, especially being shouted, left me in tears many times.

Giving birth in lockdown as a first time mum was challenging navigating the system. Finding ones self in the postnatal ward in the situation l was in was traumatising. My husband was only allowed to see me for an hour due to pandemic, which l understand but this should have been extended to provide us with help seeing help from the staff wasn’t always at hand.

There were a handful of midwives and clinical assistants who were caring and although pressured on the whole were kind. The paediatric doctors were wonderful and registrars lovely - I never met a consultant during my stay.

You wouldn’t expect this from a world class centre and it’s a great shame. Unless there is serious improvement in the facilities and attitude of staff, l cannot see myself returning especially now revealing the negative aspect of my experience.