This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Concerns about room cleaning after childbirth

Posted By Tilly261211

"Concerns about room cleaning after childbirth"

About: Aberdeen Maternity Hospital / Obstetrics (Maternity care)

(as the patient),

After delivering my baby in one of the labour rooms in Aberdeen Maternity, I was there for about 7 hours waiting for a bed to become vacant on the ward.

Clearly there was blood and bodily fluids from the delivery everywhere that needed cleaning. In that 7 hours no one cleaned the room, and people (staff) were walking in and out through the blood constantly. It was horrendous. Even though I had just given birth I tried to clean up what I could because I found it too distressing with a new baby.

During my stay in Aberdeen Maternity I was in an great deal of pain in my abdomen, more than should be felt after birth and on presentation at home they found out I had an infection (hardly a surprise).

I really feel that cleanliness needs to be made a priority especially in a labour ward, for all kinds of reasons, i.e. cross contamination, maintaining sterile equipment, decreasing infection rates, instilling confidence in patients, reduced mortality rates etc.

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Linda Oldroyd, Chief Nurse for Surgery, NHS Grampian 7 years ago
Linda Oldroyd
Chief Nurse for Surgery,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 12/10/2016 at 18:04
Published on Care Opinion on 13/10/2016 at 09:08

picture of Linda Oldroyd

Dear Tilly261211

The Chief Midwife at AMH has asked me to post this response:

Firstly, please let me congratulate you on the birth of your baby.

Secondly, I would like to thank you for taking time out during, what must be a very busy time for you, to post your feedback on Patient Opinion. It demonstrates the strength of feeling you have about the situation you found yourself in.

I was very sorry to read of your experience following the birth of your child. It would be my expectation that any body fluids and blood are cleaned as soon as possible to reduce the risk of any contamination and infection. I will share your feedback with the Labour Ward team so that we can prevent this happening again.

I hope that you are now feeling much better and enjoying your family time with your baby. If you would like to discuss your feedback further then please contact Jenny McNicol, Chief Midwife on j.mcnicol@nhs.net

I would like to add my apologies. It makes me feel sad to think of you trying to clean up at a time when you should have been enjoying your first hours with your wee one.

We hope that staff reading this will understand that such oversights can have long lasting effects on new mums and spoil what should be a beautiful time.

Thank you again for posting your feedback.

Kind regards,

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k