Home Birth-no longer the norm?

glenniedragon · Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:00 am

I can't believe the state of the equipment at your hospital! I damp dusted my anaesthetic room at the end of every list, and anything that had contact with a patient each time it was used. But on a serious note here if you experience this kind of treatment PLEASE complain in writing, this may seem a bit official, but often staff complain that they are over stretched to their managers but unfortunately unless they have complaints down in black and white from patients they are unlikely to do anything about it. By writing a letter of complaint you may actually be helping the staff if there really is an issue of understaffing. Cleanliness should be high on the list in a hospital of course, but if you haven't enough staff to do the deliveries how can you do everything? I remember doing a few shifts on Labour ward during my Nurse training and the Midwives in Northampton NEVER stopped, it was a constant round of pre, peri, and post partum care- breaks were taken as and when.....

Just a glimpse from the other side of the fence, very few health care professionals set out to do a poor job-but staffing and resources take their toll

kind thoughts
Deb

Goodlife1970 · Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:15 pm

I wasnt complaining about the care from the midwives,they were excellent (except my community midwife who was the only one I hadnt liked during my pregnancy as she kept getting everything wrong,sods law dictated that Id end up with HER during labour!) Its was just the state of the labour ward that disgusted me and the fact that there seemed to be no-one to complain to after the event,kind of "well,what did you expect?" Thankfully when I had my son here in Wales,things were much better (apart from the other infection I picked up!) and although it wasnt the home delivery I had planned as he was breech,they made me feel relaxed and in control (not that I ever was!) and they even kept comming in to congratulate me on sticking to my guns and having him naturally! Its just that with my second daughter things were so much more relaxed with me having her in my own bed,getting into my own bath and having the OH there without worying that hes going to be sent home!

Tigerhair · Post: # 16155Post **Tigerhair** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:18 pm

glennie, I hail from Northampton and my Gran worked at the General for years as a nurse

glenniedragon · Sat Apr 01, 2006 7:31 am

T'is a small world!
If she was still there late eighties-early nineties our paths may have crossed!

kind thoughts
Deb

Tigerhair · Post: # 16274Post **Tigerhair** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 7:29 pm

I think she'd retired by then - she's 90 now! Anyway, she said that with Matrons things were different, because NOONE messed with Matron and the place HAD to be immaculate... do they still have Matrons?

glenniedragon · Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:22 pm

I think their toying with the idea of bringing them back
MATRON-The RETURN this time its personal

Back to the cleanliness thread, what most places need is a dedicated cleaner-one per ward would be enough. In the old days we used to wash the dividing curtains between beds...I wonder how often that happends now-people would then have pride in their individual area, towards the end of my nursing career you'd rarely have the same cleaner twice as they were 'contract'.

Staffing seems to be the key to meeting womens choices during delivery, and not just Drs, Midwives but through the whole team, and recognition that the cleaner is as an important member of the team as the obstrician. How can that be improved? money? working practices? flexitime? NHS Doulas?..now theres an idea...

Kind thoughts
Deb