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Mixed bag of maternity care at Russells Hall

Posted By Antorzac911

"Mixed bag of maternity care at Russells Hall"

About: Russells Hall Hospital / Maternity

(as the patient),

Triage were very good - I was in and out a number of times. Nurses and midwives on the triage ward were lovely.

I was finally admitted onto labour ward at 39 weeks. I had severe oedema, bad headache, blurred vision, high BP and protein in urine. For 3 days I was on the ward, heavily pregnant, feeling dreadful and being told numerous times I was about to be induced, only to be let down due to the maternity department being 'too busy'. During this time I was surrounded by other women in labour, obviously making it impossible to sleep and get rest.

Finally after 4 days I was induced and luckily went on to have a healthy baby. I am however disturbed by the fact that I was left for so long despite being ill. I have since come to believe that both my own and my baby lives were in danger.

The midwife who delivered my baby was fabulous. So it was a mixed bag really. There is no doubt the staff are busy and work very hard, however when its your baby or your life at risk it isn't a good enough excuse.

I am currently pregnant again and a little worried, however realise that perhaps I need to speak out in hospital in order to ensure that I receive the care needed.

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Responses

Response from The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust 12 years ago
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 27/12/2012 at 14:42
Published on Care Opinion on 28/12/2012 at 15:19

Thank you for taking the time to post your feedback about our Maternity Services. We will pass on your warm comments about the midwife who delivered your baby to the matron.

We are sorry you feel your care during delivery was a “mixed bag”. Our staff are committed to caring for mums to be as individuals and working in partnership with them to meet their needs. We do aim to offer women a positive and fulfilling experience during pregnancy and birth and to make their stay with us comfortable and pleasant. We are sorry if we have fallen short of this aim on this occasion.

To address one or two points, the Maternity Unit at Russells Hall Hospital is a popular choice for mums to be and it does, sometimes, get very busy. We do make every effort to provide a quiet environment but on occasions women will be next to others who are in labour and I’m afraid this cannot be avoided.

Care for the women on the unit is prioritised based on clinical need I.e. a clinician will make a decision to attend to women who have the greatest and most pressing need. Although you feel you waited longer than you would have liked to have your baby, please be assured that both mum and baby are monitored closely during labour and after the birth.

It is difficult to comment further on your specific case without your own details and reviewing your medical notes, but if you wished to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on free phone 0800 073 0510 we would happily look into the issues you have raised; alternatively you can contact the matron for Maternity

We welcome all feedback and would like to assure you that all comments are taken seriously and acted upon as part of our ongoing commitment to improving patient experience.

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