"Concerns about birth care at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Greenwhich"

Aside from a very few members of staff seen during the whole induction and delivery process, we found the standard of care, treatment and communication was poor to appalling.

Our daughter was admitted around midday on a Sunday, having been advised to go to the hospital for monitoring as her due date was 10 days earlier and she noted less movement from the baby in the previous 24-48 hours. She was subsequently admitted to be induced and basically endured a nightmare experience with delays to administering the pessary and 2 doses of hormone gel after that, plus very painful internal examinations including 1 that may well have started her contractions, but was little short of brutal.

Having gone into labour early on the Wednesday evening, she was not moved from ward 7 room and bay 2 or given anything more than gas/air to help with the contractions that were becoming more frequent and intense despite requesting pethadine, and ultimately had to go straight to the delivery room where things got even worse. Due to difficulties during delivery an episiotomy was conducted, but it appears only after tearing, and the home midwife along with a nurse at our GP's surgery have both expressed shock at the amount of trauma/damage that is causing her extreme pain, not to mention infection risk. They both note severe grazing and worst of all perhaps, that part of the area has not been stitched. I/we hope that this does not leave lasting or permanent damage, but will be seeking recourse if unfortunately that is the case.