"Appaling"

I had to call an ambulance 3 days after giving birth at the BBC due to heavy bleeding.

I was taken to the labour ward at the RL.

The ward is very dirty - there were bloody sanitary towels in the bin of the toilet in my room, as well as a jug of bloody water on top of the toilet.

There was also a urine dip stick pot & dirty tissue.

The floor was filthy, as could be seen by the state of the feet of my surgical stockings when I left.

There were bits of cannulas/needles etc scattered about the room.

I saw on the board they have a cleanliness rating of 61% which is shocking.

I was there for 48 hrs during which time my Mum had to go and ask why I wasn't being given any food or drink.

She was told 'I'll try and find some bread'.

Eventually I was brought a ready meal/'breakfast' (which included dry bread!) which was of such poor quality I had to leave most of it.

My Mum was told I had not responded to a knock on my door from the person giving out food.

This knock did not occur.

Later she was told I should have collected my food from a trolley at the end of a corridor.

How were we supposed to know that!?

The person with said trolley was rude to my Mum when she went to collect this food.

My Husband resorted to buying me food and drink.

Communication and continuity of care is severely lacking on this ward.

Several midwives & an anaesthetist could not get needles in my veins; I left with 7(!) holes in my hands/arms.

When you press your 'panic button' it takes a really long time for anyone to come.

My Husband had to go & tell several midwives that I was having alarming symptoms due to noone coming when I pressed it.

They just looked at him blankly and couldn't answer his questions.

In my experience it takes at least 2 hours for a Dr to come and see you even though you have been told you are seriously ill, & this is after asking to see one over & over.

I was accused of having PND (3 days after I have given birth!?) and being addicted to gas & air (which had been given to me by a midwife because I was in a lot of pain caused by the drugs I had been given which had brought on strong contractions).

Lots of midwives coming in & out doing very little, which disturbs you so often you can't get any rest.

The 2nd night I was told if I wanted to stay another night I would have to pay £120!?

So I discharged myself, not before a midwife tried to stop my Husband from taking our baby home because she hadn't been discharged yet...As I said at the beginning she wasn't born there & I was the patient!

Unfortunately I ended up here again 5 days later whereby I endured 12 hrs of more of the same.

Thank God we have private medical insurance which we ended up using to get me the treatment I should have been given 13 days previously.

I have had it confirmed by 2 Drs that I was given the wrong treatment which led to a lot of unnecessary pain & suffering.

An absolute shambles!