"Appauling Maternity Care at Lewisham Hospital"

We had a very difficult pregnancy; a possible miscarriage and our son was though to have potential problems due to abnormal brain scans found during the second scan. We were treated at both Lewisham hospital and kings. Until the very last few weeks of the pregnancy, following an MRI scan that we were told that everything was probably fine but they couldn't be 100% certain until he was born.

We were obviously very worried and were told that it would be fine to have our son at Lewisham beacuse the care was very good.

It could not have been any futher from ' good'. We arrived in the hospital at around 2am and were taken to a room and a heart monitor was strapped across my stomach. The mid-wife (we assume it was a mid-wife because at no point did she introduce herself) then only checked on the heart monitor on one other occassion. At no point did anyone ask if i wanted or required and pain relief and when my partner when to find someone to help there was no one available - other peoples needs were greater. Toward the end of the labour a trainee midwife walked into the room to collect some equipment for another patient and ask if i was ok to this we replied 'no' She then supplied me with some gas and air. The orginal midwife was nowhere to seen.

At this point we felt very alone and scared. Hours went by. The orginal midwife eventually came back at around 6am to inform us that are son was in a breech position (because she could feel a bottom and not a head) and very quickly gave us the options we were faced with.

Our son was born very soon after by emergency c-section.

At no point did anyone consult the notes we had brough with us, offer any support or advice. Giving birth is a daughting proposition in itself but add to this uncaring staff, being completely abandoned until the very last minute and no offer of pain releif and a daughting proposition becomes a very very scary, humilating, frightening and isolating nightmare.

The care provided in ward was rude, brisk and very unhelpful. my son was returned to me by the mid-wife who has cared for him on this first night as i was unable to with a dirty nappy. i was chastised for this by another mid-wife. i could not walk for the first day but was told that the baby milk was in the centre of the maternity ward (i was in a room to the side) and that i should 'get it myself'.

Overall lewisham hospital provided a disgraceful level of servie that i would not wish anyone to recieve. my heart goes out to anyone who might be in the position of giving birth in lewisham hospital.

we have recently moved out of london, one bonus of this is that we won't be at the mercy of the midwives of lewisham hospital if we chose to have another baby.