"The worst experience"

Anything else?

My girlfriend has recently gone into labour at your hospital on the 18th January 2013 and I have never met such rude and incapable staff.

When in the maternity suite we were given sheets that were unclean, with bloodstains on the staff just said it was lipstick or pen where it was obviously blood, there was no apology.

She was then told we were waiting for a bed from 9pm, she was suffering from very strong contractions by now, in a waiting room in front of about 8 people we got a room at 11:30 The woman on reception was very rude, giving me no explanation about how long the wait would be, when I asked what if her waters broke in the waiting room, the receptionist replied 'I don't know' and replied to my questions with one word answers which is totally unacceptable in a situation when assurance is needed.

When we were making our way to the maternity ward my girlfriend was suffering from some very strong contractions and struggling to walk, the woman that walked us walked straight ahead and didn't even ask us to follow her. She was also very rude offering no help what so ever.

On my girlfriends birthing plan she requested that she didn't want the pethidine injection. At 11:30 she was eventually moved into the birthing ward, as we were shown in the room the woman said 'in there, gas and air, use it' my girlfriend was told multiple times she was using the gas and air wrong but was never shown how to use it. After 2 hours of pain She then opted for the injection.

About 2 hours after this injection the midwife realised the gas and air wasn't even hooked up.

As after the birth we had plans to go back to my girlfriends parents house in abbey wood we were repeatedly told we should've gone to queen elizabeth, and were asked at 3am whether me or my girlfriends mum could drive whilst my girlfriend was between 5 and 7cm dilated and her waters were bulging.

There's nothing like feeling unwanted on possibly the most important day of your life.

You really need to look into training your staff as the only decent human being in that hospital was a trainee midwife.

Word of advice don't train her any further. She was brilliant.

There is a serious problem with the buzzer system to get into the ward, there is never anyone on the reception, and it is virtually impossible to get into the labour ward.

And a serious lack of communication when my girlfriends family arrived after the birth they asked to let us know they were waiting and we were not told. Also even the staff in the canteen were abrupt and rude.

On your wall in the room there was a poster with an ethos of what service your midwives strive to offer, we received no such service.

In conclusion when your child is born you should remember the experience.

You have ruined this memory for me and I will remember this experience for all the wrong reasons.