Right to Respond

Healthwatch is committed to providing a transparent and honest view of health and social care services. This is your opportunity as the health or social care provider to have your say on comments the public have left. It is designed to be constructive and allow both sides to have a fair and equal say in the matter so please:

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Remember, your response will be seen by everyone who reads your organisation's comments, not just the original reviewer. Your reply is a good opportunity to acknowledge any comments received.

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Original feedback for

Community Midwives


Let down during birth

I was a planned home birth, following an extremely traumatic birth in February 2021 where I was left with PTSD and PND as a result of being transferred in from home unnecessarily. Despite being a planned home birth from day 1, when I went into labour I was told there was no one available to come out to me as another woman was already in labour and no other staff were available. I was told the only way I would receive midwifery care was to be transferred in. Due to my experience last time, I was not in a position to be able to do this and was therefore left to birth alone at home. I delivered at 3am and it was midday before a midwife made it out to my house. I feel grossly let down by WSH. If the trust says it facilitates home births, it needs to ensure a contingency plan is in place if the primary home birth team are other wise engaged. To simply say I had to be transferred in, against my will, is not good enough. Women have the right to birth in the environment where they feel safest. For me, this was at home. I do not believe it is too much to ask to have my needs met given the trauma I experienced last time.