"Will not recommend - ever!"

Anything else?

Queens Hospital - Romford Essex - January 2013

Partner went into labour and we arrived at the hospital at 9am, monitored in Triage and midwife and doctor agreed to transfer her to the labour ward as my partner's contractions were 4 mins apart.

9 hrs later still in Triage, we were refused pain relief until 4pm even though we asked for Gas & Air and was told it was too early!!

My partner was given an injection of pethidine at 4pm and then left until 6pm. During the 9hrs we were not told of why there was a delay or what was going on.

Finally, went into the labour room at 6pm and was given gas and air.

At 8pm the midwife shift changed and the midwife that took over was most unhelpful. She would not answer questions we posed to her, she refused to give my partner an epidural and stated that she is a strong woman and should continue with gas and air. The midwife also decided to take 2 personal calls when she was in the room!!

at 10.10pm the baby was born, my partner was left and was not stitched up because the only mobile light in this hospital was being used (midwife's words) 2 hrs later the light was made available and the midwife stitched up. It was no surprise that later the community midwife was considering a blood transfusion for her.

5 hrs after giving birth she was finally transfered to the post natal ward (not due to lack of beds - not at 3.30am in the morning) and again was left to her own devices. When she asked for help feeding the baby she was told 'there are 2 of us and 35 of you, go back to sleep'.

Later in the day the hospital had mistakenly discharged my partner instead of another lady in the same room!

Finally at 4.30 we were discharged in what took 5 minutes - no checks on whether the baby was feeding well nor whether mother was ok just a tick box excercise.

Thanks to the staff at Queens Hospital, what should have been a special moment in our lives turned out to be one of the worst, no communication between staff or the patients, no organisation and a level of care that is shameful.

My advice for when you are in labour and thinking of this hospital ? ... drive on or stay at home.