"The severe shortage of nurses in Maternity is extremely concerning"

My pregnant daughter's labour was due to be induced, (much awaited IVF baby), but was eventually admitted at 14 days overdue. We had been to the maternity department in the weeks before, and like others have spent many hours in the waiting room with Mums clearly in late stages of labour, and a couple waited many hours to be seen after being sent by their GP who could not find the baby's heartbeat. We later found they had bad news.

Due to a shortage of beds it took the intervention of our GP to get my wife admitted. After 3 days with, no sleep, walking through the night to help things along and two false starts where bed shortage caused the decision to be made to stop the progression of her labour by withdrawing the drugs eventually she was put in a drip and a bed was available.

In the meantime we had seen one midwife dealing with two wards of ladies in final stages of labour, on her own literally running between the two wards. Not once did she treat any person with anything other than extreme care and kindness, but it was obvious the ward was inadequately staffed, two ladies in one night were put into trolleys and taken into the delivery suite whilst delivering their babies.

Eventually in the delivery suite we thought we were on the way. Labour seemed to be progressing, however the midwives seemed to have to make notes every 15 minutes, there was what was called one to one care, but that consisted of writing more than 80% of the time.

My daughter was totally exhausted, and getting very anxious. There was nothing done to reduce this anxiety.

24 hours later she was only once centimetre dilated and utterly exhausted. (As was I and her husband). No tea or coffee or water or biscuits or anything was offered.

A decision was made to give her an epidural and Caesarian.

Not over yet! Another wait for a space at theatre resulted in a further 6 hour wait before she was taken into theatre.

A very healthy 9lb 10oz large baby was born, it took 3 doctors to deliver him, despite the scans and checks that told them he was expected to be large, and the recommendation she was induced at 38 weeks, this advice had been ignored.

She was told she would never have delivered him naturally as he was simply far too large to pass through her pelvis.

However we were all relieved he was born safely, and I left my exhausted daughter to get a well earned rest.

No chance of that. The next morning as I arrived she had very little sleep due to the activity on the ward of people arriving and departing. She subsequently went on to develop sepsis, causing bowel seizure, was extremely poorly, she could not even lift her baby from one side to the other. She was nil by mouth due to her bowel seizure while she had drains inserted to drain her stomach, and developed difficult in breastfeeding.

Formula milk was offered by the hospital, but at 10pm we were told they could not give my grandson any more milk as we had had our quota! ! ! (Apparently they can only allow two bottles per baby before you have to bring your own. ) fortunately my son-in-law had a car and money and drove to the nearby garage to get milk for his newborn son, to be told on returning he was outside visiting hours. However at this point my daughter was so ill, and there was no-one to care for her, we were at the hospital from7am until 11am.

But for 8 hours during the night she had to try to feed her son, when she could barely move him, there were fewer midwives and nurses (again often one for several multi-occupancy rooms), with endless admissions and discharges that there was again so much paperwork and very very little care.

My daughter then developed a blood clot. Fortunately her anti-biotics started to work and her drips and drains were removed, so a week after her baby was born she discharged herself, as she was so exhausted she was not going to get better in the hospital with no care or support.

I started to make notes, but honestly there were so many failings I gave up. I have seven children, born at four different hospitals between 1984 and 1996. I am horrified at the state of the maternity services, which I understand are similar and worse in differing hospitals across the UK. My heart breaks watching new mothers being tossed out of hospital a few hours after giving birth for the first time, two women I saw waiting for their partner to bring a car and the other waiting for a taxi at the outside doors in the small hours of the morning, still shocked with their experience.

Giving birth is hard work, sometimes things don't go to plan. Sometimes we need some help, but every mother deserves to be treated with care, dignity and respect.

My daughter was lucky, but I will now urge my daughters towards home births where possible, or private care, with another two grandchildren on the way, we are considering our options.