The Princess Royal Maternity Hospital

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Princess Royal Contact details

PRINCESS ROYAL'S VITAL STATISTICS:

* Mothers deemed high risk = over 40, multiple birth, breech birth, more than 3 miscarriages, previous stillbirth, previous c/s, previous postpartum haemorrhage, chronic medical condition, assisted conception, malpresentation, diabetic, Group B Strep carrier, previous obstetric complication eg pre-eclampsia, 3rd degree tear etc

All stats obtained from IMA, Dr Foster birth unit stats 2005, Birth Choice UK& ISD 2005

BELOW ARE SOME MOTHERS' GATHERED EXPERIENCES OF BIRTH AT THE PRINCESS ROYAL:

From NetMums Website October 2007 Liz says:
I have used this hospital twice now, April 2003 for an induction and then an emergency C section, had a room to myself on the ward, some of the midwifes were unhelpful though, and my bathroom wasn't cleaned for the 4 days I was in! Ended up with an infection in my wound afterwards due to the dissovable stiches not dissolving. In August 2007 I had my daughter there by elective C section, the theatre staff were fantastic and the experience was so much better than the first time. Ended up on a ward though, no pain relief, noisy staff, women and babies, some of the midwifes were good. 10 weeks later my wound is still open and on my third batch of anti biotics, beware infections in C section wounds are apparently rife at the moment from this hospital! Antenatal clinic always ran late too!

From NetMums Website October 2007 Kelly says:
I had both my sons at princess royal maternity hospital. When my eldest son was born feb 2004 I found the hospital to be clean friendly staff and really helpful. When my youngest was born there in dec 2005 it seeemed like no one could be bothered or didn't know what they were doing. The wards and toilets were filthy, doctors, nurses didn't seem interested if you had a problem and were rude and unhelpful the only dr there that seemed interested and concered was the consultant who called me back in to deliver my youngest a week early after explaining that he was not feeding from placenta and needed to be born within the next 24 hrs.

From NetMums Website October 2007 Danielle says:
I had both my babies here and gave birth on feb 07. I was very disappointed that they left me at 3cm dilated for 9 days even though I had been in pain for 2 weeks. The 2 midwifes that were present at the birth were great although I thought the nurses/midwives gave me no support at all with breastfeeding and at one point when my nipples were cracked and bleeding they told me if I gave my baby a bottle until my breasts felt better I wouldn't be able to breastfeed. I was distraught however I have been breastfeeding for 8 months now despite that. I think women aren't offered the support they need especially with breastfeeding.

From NetMums Website October 2007 Alexandria says:
I had my baby in July 2005 in the Midwives Birthing Unit - what an amazing experience. The midwives (Angela and Dorothy - both absolute angels!) put me at ease immediately, the room was very clean and I felt so in control. Can't say the same for the ward though. I felt that it was very short staffed, and as a new mum trying to get to grips with breastfeeding, I felt as though I was just left to get on with it. The ward itself was spotless, and cleaned each morning but the shower room/loo wasn't the cleanest. The midwives who looked after me were lovely nonetheless, the poor girls were just run ragged as there were too few of them.

From NetMums Website October 2007 Ashley says:
I did not get as far as the labour ward at the Princess Royal but at the 12 week scan, the nurse doing my scan (after leaving me sat in a waiting room well after my time) said that my baby was dead. The curtains round the bed got shut and at the bottom of the bed in the same room was another nurse looking for welcome packs for the mothers that babies were well and making no allowences for me taking in that my perfect pregancy up till this point had terminated. The baby died at 8weeks but lay dead till I had a medical evacuation of the womb later at another hospital. I just found the staff that day not much help, callous and uncaring and I was given the out the 'back door approach.' The midwife say she would call in a few days to see how I was she didn't.

From NetMums Website September 2007 Louise says:
Although I had a long and difficult labour, I found all the staff really nice and supportive. Large and clean labour and delivery rooms. The shower room and the loo in thw post natal wards weren't the cleanest.

Amanda

Reading your site has really struck a cord and I totally agree that maternity services in Glasgow are pretty poor considering we live in a developed country where we have the means (and taxes) to deliver better healthcare.

When I asked my community midwife about the possibility of a water birth at the Princess Royal (considering it's been newly upgraded I'd wrongly thought it might be promoting such methods) I got a similar response to the one quoted on your site. I was told I could only labour in the pool, not give birth in it, and would only be allowed to use it if there was a midwife with relevant training present and the pool was available. I was rather shocked and disappointed with this response, but didn't really know what else to say!

Now I'm a few more weeks down the line, in my third trimester, I'm becoming more and more disheartened with the whole level of care provided.

I thought (rather naively) that I would have one midwife to support me throughout my pregnancy, labour and postnatal period - someone with whom I could build a relationship. I was quite distressed last week, however, when I learned that I may end up with a midwife I've never met before helping me through labour.

It's bad enough that my 'shared care' is split between my Dr (she's okay, but I get the impression I'm bothering her busy schedule sometimes), a consultant I've met once (which is fine, pregnancy has progressed well), and two midwives from [personal information edited] (one I've met twice, the other only once).

I feel they are all more interested in the baby's health than mine, and more than once now I've had to self-diagnose the problems I'm experiencing during my pregnancy. I also have to push for answers and remedies for my health issues, and have found the physio girls at the Princess Royal (where I'll be giving birth) more helpful than anyone else!!

I even feel I've developed a better relationship with the midwife who led our antenatal classes than either of the girls I've been 'assigned'!

I'm keen to do everything I can to ensure as natural a birth as possible (although I don't want to rule out medical intervention should it be required) and am happy to be giving birth at the Princess Royal, but as you can tell from my rant above, I'm becoming increasingly disappointed with the maternity services available to me.

I am very happy to support your campaign & feel it’s about time women in Glasgow were given more choice about where & how they want to give birth & most importantly one-to-one continuity of care.

Marie

Marie had unexplained raised AFPs & The Princess Royal ‘insisted’ that she had to be induced on her due date. Marie sought further information about this from one of the country’s leading & most experienced midwives, Mary Cronk, AIMS& 3 other midwives outwith Glasgow. All of them informed her that as long as the scans were OK & that she was well, there was no need to be induced.

However, a few weeks later, the hospital were still ‘insisting’ on inducing her even though the ultrasound had shown a perfectly NORMAL baby and NORMALLY functioning placenta. Marie said a registrar had seen her (despite asking to see the consultant) and she asked why she was to be induced when everything was OK? The reply was "what's your problem with being induced?".

Marie was also informed that ‘when’ she was induced she would not be allowed to birth in the Midwife Led Unit (MLU) because she was deemed "high risk" and that she also wasn't allowed to have her chosen birth attendants with her until she was in ‘proper’ labour. The doctor then said "once you're in labour, we'll transfer you to the labour ward and then, if you're lucky, when the baby's head is crowning, a midwife will come and help you birth the baby if one of them is free!".

Marie was also told that she would definitely be given syntocin because she was a prima gravida [first time Mum]. Her next visit was with the consultant who reiterated that she would not be able to give birth in the MLU because she was ‘high risk’. Marie said this was not acceptable & was then given a form to sign to say that if she insisted on going to MLU she must sign this form to say that the hospital didn't accept responsibility if anything went wrong.

Marie went into labour on her due date, had a seven hour labour, was sent home in the middle of it because she was in no pain (despite being "high risk"), and had the baby very soon after she came back in – a healthy, baby boy who is completely normal. However, Marie is very unhappy with the way she was treated, and said the registrar and consultant "talked to me like I was a child – they were extremely patronising, they didn’t listen to me & seemed hell-bent on frightening me. They bullied me & put unnecessary pressure on me at a time when I should have been relaxing towards the end of my pregnancy”.

[If you have been traumatised by your birth please contact the Birth Trauma Assoc for support & if you want to challenge your hospital trust regarding your poor care please refer to the Assoc for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS) - Jayne]

Sian

I write to you with deep thanks that your website exists. I wish I had found it sooner in my pregnancy – it reflects completely how I feel & have been fighting to get a home birth for the past 7 months. I am due to have my baby on [edited personal information] & am really still in a stand-off situation with the PRM.

I wanted to have a normal birth since the start & have been fighting to the detriment of my nerves. I live in the [edited personal information] area where services have been cut back so much there is no community midwife service. I refused to have ‘shared care’ & have to attend day care services at the hospital & have had to fight to even get a named midwife! I have complained firstly to my Consultant & then to the director of midwifery. However, I wish I had taken the fight further & made decisions sooner – now I have some 7 weeks to go & am running scared.

I have given my midwife my birth plan & it basically states that I will remain at home should I not be able to use the pool [at the PRM] (which as you know is most likely). I have stated that I expect them to have a duty of care to provide me with a midwife for a home birth. At this stage, this is not enough, I need to secure a home birth& a guarantee that a midwife will attend me in labour.