"Shocked by Staff Endangering my 5 days old Baby"

I gave birth to my baby daughter at the Homerton Hospital on the 2nd December and was amazed by the level of care and compassion I have received there.

Unfortunately, because we have relocated to Redbridge in the meantime, the aftercare was done by the Queens Hospital.

In the night from 6th to 7th I developed chest pain, but chose not to be worried. In the night from the 7th to 8th I had again chest pain, so I decided to call the hotline number provided in my postnatal file, since there was a very small possibility of postpartum complications, so I just felt I wanted to be on the save side. The person on the phone told me to come immediately with my 5 days old baby and my husband to get a check up to the Triage Ward.

We, me and my husband carrying our newborn, 5 days old daughter in the car seat, arrived then at the Triage Ward at 1:30 approximately. The ward was busy, though not as busy as I have seen it the following day. The doctor in charge and the midwifes however were not bothered to see me.

Instead, I was told by the doctor to go to the A&E. There was no question about the whereabouts of the baby. So, they sent me and my 5 days old daughter to the A&E. I have never been to an A&E department before, so I had no clue what that meant.

Once we arrived there, I was shocked that this doctor sent a 5 days old baby to a cold draughty place, dirty, blood on the floor, with very sick people, people vomiting next to us, homeless people sleeping on the benches. I had to feed our baby there, because she got hungry. I was so scared, my husband took then the little one back to the car, because we were so worried that she gets very sick.

I had to be almost four hours at the A&E for blood tests and a chest x-ray. At a certain point my husband had to go back there with the baby because we had no formula anymore and ask at the reception for milk for the little one.

Eventually, at 5:30 I was referred back to the Triage ward, which was empty now. Although the tests which were done came all back negative, the doctor told me that I need blood thinner and need to come back the following day for a nuclear medical test of my lungs. as it all played up, it appeared to me that because they did not want to deal with my case they rather sent me to the A&E. I could have immediately have the blood thinner and go home to come back for the big test.

The most upsetting thing was, that when I threw at their head what they have done to my baby, they answered: "You are my patient, not your baby", and that I should not make a fuss.

That other people see it differently, I had a good example today when after the test I went to the twice as busy ward and the midwife who took my file, their second question was "Where is the baby?"

Queen's Hospital, where people do not care about the well being of a 5 days old baby. Never again!