"Wonderful staff on labour ward at Northampton General Hospital - obstetrics"

I was very anxious about giving birth at Northampton General Hospital because of the negative stories I had heard. Other women had said they were short-staffed and the available staff were unfriendly and the hospital was dirty.

I have to say that my experinece of the labour ward, including the high-dependency unit and the post natal ward, Robert-Watson, could not be further from the above.

I found all the wards clean and without exception, ALL the staff couldn't do enough to help. They were all very professional, understanding, reassuring and friendly and they all worked very hard all day long.

It was however evident that they were short-staffed and some of the equipment they used needed replacing but even this was to their credit that they persevered and continued to offer the best possible service they could.

I have nothing negative to say about my experience on the wards or of the staff and I get very annoyed when people are overly critical of the staff. As far as I am concerned, all the staff did their best to ensure the welfare of all their patients, in what are sometimes very stressful circumstances.

Inparticular, Nurse Debbie Titmuss and her student nurse Hayley were fanastic and I feel privileged and lucky that they devoted so much of their time ensuring I was ok throughout a very traumatic and difficult birth. I don't know that I could have gotten through it without their undulating support and I am eternally grateful to them. It is regretful that I do not know the name of the doctor who delivered my little boy or anyone else from the medical team but they were all fantastic and deserve high praise.

Please pass on my sincere thanks to everyone on Strutidge Labour ward, including the high dependency unit and staff on the Robert Watson Ward. I delieved my little boy on the 9th of June 2007.