Submission - Review of Maternity Services - Felicity – 8 February 2021

Felicity – 8 February 2021

It was recently brought to my attention that you are undertaking a review on maternity services here in Jersey, so I thought I would share my experience.

In short, no, they are not good enough.

• There is no consistency in staffing. I didn't see the same healthcare professional more than once during each pregnancy. This resulted in a very serious, life affecting misdiagnosis in my first pregnancy and no available psychiatrist in my second. I felt completely alone because I was alone.
• Paperwork is not kept up to date leading to serious consequences.
• No understanding of serious potential complications during birth.
• Skills are not good enough or up to date. I received two failed epidurals and a top up from the same person and side effects weren't acknowledged. I was told I was 'making a fuss'. My baby then almost died due to a late diagnosis of brow presentation.
• No consistency in care / methods / opinions etc. Everyone has a completely different style. I came in for an elective c section and had a sweep without my knowledge. This went on to be a brow presentation birth with an emergency c section after three failed epidurals and multiple side effects.
• The facilities are appalling.

• Maternity services
  • A hot conservatory where more than one mother feels faint, not enough space for accompanying partners
  • Huge waits.
• Maternity wards
  • No privacy
  • No ventilation
  • No air conditioning
  • No visitor toilet facilities
  • No visitor kitchen facilities
  • Terrible food services - nowhere to eat or drink with a window. Food that is only identifiable by the label. No healthy options.
  • No support for partners
  • No overnight facility for partners. I gave birth at night, a month early not knowing I was in labour. My husband had to leave. I was in shock and alone.
  • No suitable shower facilities for c-section mums. You must shower with an open door on a public corridor.
  • Private rooms are not fit for purpose and overlook an extremely noisy park. They are tucked away so if the wards become quiet, you are completely alone. People would forget to bring me meals and water.
  • No suitable chairs / beds for partners attending a complicated / long labour
• SCBU

• Excellent midwives

• Facilities are not fit for purpose. Babies are moved all the time depending on their needs. You can leave, come back and not know where your baby is. This is not the midwives' fault
• No privacy for families
• Asbestos - resulting in the lack of use of one cupboard
• No beds for parents next to cots
• Peeling paintwork
• Not enough chairs for parents.

• Post birth care

• None available on the wards in the most part
• In the parishes, many health visitors are heavily disliked and not asked to return after the initial visit
• Post-natal depression and ptsd is not diagnosed until too late
• No consistency in feeding support

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• No follow ups with mothers of unusual cases.

Suggestions for the new hospital design

• Maternity wards
  • Have a family space for visitors so that if visiting hours are restricted, you can still meet with loved ones when it is convenient for you, the mum. There should be kitchen facilities and bathroom facilities directly off this space for visitors. Keep it adjacent to the entrance so that disturbance and noise to maternity is minimal.
  • C-section ward with a bathroom specifically for those mums. Has a door that can be left open for the 'first shower' but in a way that ensures you have complete privacy
  • Dining space with comfortable seating and windows and proper ventilation. A safe and comforting space. Vending machines for out of hours drinks and snacks.
  • In addition to current bed facilities there should be:
    • Wall mounted fans
    • Pull down beds for partner / family member
    • Visitor chair
  • Add calming colours
  • Add comfortable furniture and seating
  • Add pull down beds in labour rooms for partners who are supporting mothers in complicated scenarios
  • Accessible outside space from a corridor rather than a ward

• SCBU
  • Dedicated glass rooms with privacy blinds built in. Glass walls would enable midwives to see all babies for monitoring but allow families privacy at times they may need it. Ensure each room has two chairs and a tv for parents
  • Each glass room should have identical facilities so babies do not have to move.
  • Dedicated kitchen / dining / lounge space for SCBU families directly off SCBU. They might not want to eat with parents of healthy babies but they still need feeding and a break.
  • Dedicated bathroom facilities for SCBU families directly off SCBU
  • Family bedrooms available for SCBU families.

• Private rooms
  • Pull out beds for partners
  • Walk in showers
  • Bath
  • Working freeview TVs
  • Quiet location
  • Air conditioning
  • Regular care checks

There are many more truths I could tell, suggestions I could make, but hopefully these will give you an insight. All my suggestions are based on experiences in other UK maternity wards and children's hospitals.