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I visited as an expectant father, ...

Story from nhs.uk

"I visited as an expectant father, ..."

About: Queen Elizabeth I I Hospital (Welwyn Garden City)

(as a relative),

What I liked

I visited as an expectant father, accompanying my wife during labour at the maternity ward at the Queen Elizabeth II in WGC. As with many expectant fathers, I was somewhat nervy and cautious with the people I was trusting to manage the birth of our child, and take care of my wife. The staff were warm, professional and reassuring in all that they did. At each step they presented us with the choices available and the information to enable us to make those choices; from choosing the room, how to give birth, medication and post-birth care. The hospital was in good condition for a building of its age, and was clean and encouraged others to maintain good levels of hygiene. They also offered a large range of choice of types of room to give birth in, rooms were large, well lit, comfortable and even tea and toast was laid on! The staff were excellent, and I cannot reiterate enough how important it was to my wife and I to have such calming and professional influence in the room with us. Thank you QEII

What could be improved

Topping up parking, is problematic, it would be great to have a ticket on entry that can be paid at the end of the visit.

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Responses

Response from Queen Elizabeth I I Hospital 15 years ago
Queen Elizabeth I I Hospital

Submitted on 14/11/2008 at 11:20
Published on nhs.uk on 15/11/2008 at 04:02

Thanks for your very kind comments about the highly positive experience that both you and your wife had when your baby was born at the QEII hospital recently. We have passed them on to the maternity team.

With regard to the parking issue that you raised, we have looked previously at the cost of introducing a gated parking system. Given the current site layout, it has not been possible to come up with a cost-effective solution that does not also risk impeding emergency access to the site - especially for the emergency services.

All is not lost, however, as the local primary cae trust will be reviewing car parking arrangements as it considers developments planned for the QEII, including the development of an urgent care centre and the new £30 million local general hospital on the Welwyn Garden City site. This gives us an opportunity to review parking and how the system operated at the hospital.

In the meantime our advice is that either directly, or through the help of staff, the parking contractor team on site is advised of what has happened so that people are not penalised because they are within the hospital unable to get back to top up the parking fee. If the contractor is aware of what's happening, allowances can be made for the appropriate fee to be paid subsequently.

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