Ipswich Hospital (Part of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust)
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Based on 1760 reviews
Reviews (1760)
Not the best once I stopped feeling my baby
Maternity
July 26, 2021
Stopped feeling baby move at 34 weeks and baby was measuring small. Simple plan put in place which was reassuring to myself and family.
Continued to have no movements felt but told as baby is now growing it is classed as healthy and I would not be allowed an induction at 37 weeks like initial plan. Have been told monitoring is no longer required due to babies size but I can continue if I want to.
Spoken to several midwives and the Dr and stated that I am not happy with my current plan in place because if I can't feel my baby move how do I know all is fine when I am not on the monitors.
I feel they are more concerned about the babies size rather than the fact I don't feel movements. This is causing unnecessary stress and affecting my mental health- constant worry about whether or not my baby is OK.
Continued to have no movements felt but told as baby is now growing it is classed as healthy and I would not be allowed an induction at 37 weeks like initial plan. Have been told monitoring is no longer required due to babies size but I can continue if I want to.
Spoken to several midwives and the Dr and stated that I am not happy with my current plan in place because if I can't feel my baby move how do I know all is fine when I am not on the monitors.
I feel they are more concerned about the babies size rather than the fact I don't feel movements. This is causing unnecessary stress and affecting my mental health- constant worry about whether or not my baby is OK.
Amazing care
Maternity
July 26, 2021
I gave birth in August 2020 during a global pandemic and the midwives could not have been more accommodating. I was called in the morning to go in for an induction where my husband and myself were the only people in our room. As I went into active labour later that day my husband was allowed to stay with me and I gave birth in the evening. As the ward wasn’t busy, we stayed in the birthing suite and my husband was offered a bed overnight. We could have gone home after 6 hours but we decided to stay until the morning so our baby girl could have her hearing check before we went home so we didn’t have to come back as outpatients. My midwives were so lovely and made me feel at ease the whole time. This was my first child and I didn’t know what to expect but I felt completely confident in their hands.
Telephone appointment never received
Gynaecology
July 26, 2021
Telephone appointment booked in for July 19th and never received from clinic, even after chasing up with Gynae clinic, Gynae secretary and also with the help from PALS.
I wasn't listened to or taken seriously
Maternity
July 26, 2021
I was in labour and due to covid had to enter the hospital alone. I felt I couldn't express how I felt because of pain. I was fobbed off and not taken seriously. As a result I had my baby an hour later at home in the care of paramedics. I would not recommend having a baby at Ipswich.
Short staffed, poor advice given
Maternity
July 25, 2021
Twin pregnancy in 2019. Induced but went in on the booked day and was turned away. Then went back two days later at 8am and wasn’t induced until 11pm! Induction was awful sent twins into distress and luckily I had one good midwife who pushed that something was wrong. The consultant brushed it off as hiccups. Ended in a category one c section.
Induced natural birth
Maternity
July 25, 2021
Having my husband present during the birth was good, it would have been nice for him to have the option to stay before and after wards however I understand the covid rules. I felt my babys birth was rushed as I was induced with a pessary and after a period of time I was only 1cm and they broke my waters. I wasn't given an option or another pessary or left to go longer with the first pessary. After waters were broken I was put on the hormone drip and this was increased to the maximum. I wasn't fully informed about the increase of the drip until I was about to push and I heard the midwife tell others I was on the maximum dosage.
Concerning lack of decision making ability
Maternity
July 25, 2021
After finding concerns on my baby’s CTG and it not meeting criteria it took them 2 days and five CTGs (four of which did not meet criteria) to finally decide to perform an emergency c- section. I was repeatedly told it was fine and just to let them repeat the ctg in an hour or the next day. On the fifth ctg they finally got the consultant and he expressed concerns that things had not been escalated after the second failed ctg.
The care I received left me less than impressed and increasingly concerned for my unborn child’s welfare and I repeatedly had to advocate for myself to push for answers. The whole experience has led my husband and I to decide never to have more children. Given this departments history with foetal deaths you would think they would be more cautious.
Also I gave birth during Covid restrictions and as such my husband was not allowed to stay with myself and my newborn overnight whilst I was kept in during induction and the following night after the c section. This led to an immense amount of worry and stress for him but also not having any support was incredibly difficult for myself. Having to spend the first night after major abdominal surgery on my own in the ward with a newborn was incredibly difficult and I received no assistance from the staff overnight and as such was forced to struggle with carrying and lifting my baby through the night. I would have thought more support for a new first time mum would have been forthcoming.
The care I received left me less than impressed and increasingly concerned for my unborn child’s welfare and I repeatedly had to advocate for myself to push for answers. The whole experience has led my husband and I to decide never to have more children. Given this departments history with foetal deaths you would think they would be more cautious.
Also I gave birth during Covid restrictions and as such my husband was not allowed to stay with myself and my newborn overnight whilst I was kept in during induction and the following night after the c section. This led to an immense amount of worry and stress for him but also not having any support was incredibly difficult for myself. Having to spend the first night after major abdominal surgery on my own in the ward with a newborn was incredibly difficult and I received no assistance from the staff overnight and as such was forced to struggle with carrying and lifting my baby through the night. I would have thought more support for a new first time mum would have been forthcoming.
Received excellent care overall
Maternity
July 25, 2021
Received excellent care on the labour ward, in surgery and also on the post natal ward. The pre-natal appointments however were always running very late and seemed very disorganised however which was very problematic for me and my husband.
Some good and some bad
Maternity
July 24, 2021
I had an iol at 39 weeks due to the pandemic I was on my own until being moved to the delivery ward. I asked for pain relief after the induction started but due to the Ward being busy this wasn’t followed up for a while. Once on the delivery ward I had the drip and a monitor but it was not explained until later on why so many staff came and went due to the baby’s heart rate.
I had an emergency c-section which was fine and was explained to what would happen. Once back in the postnatal ward staff seemed reluctant to tell me what was going on and only that I had an infection. They decided to move back up to the other ward at 9pm at night when I was exhausted and wanted to feed the baby and sleep the same happened when I was transferred back down 24 hours later. My husband was finally told what I was being treated for after me repeatedly asking. There was also confusion over my mental health condition and staff did not speak to me about this and as I found out by reading my post natal notes that they had it completely wrong.
I had an emergency c-section which was fine and was explained to what would happen. Once back in the postnatal ward staff seemed reluctant to tell me what was going on and only that I had an infection. They decided to move back up to the other ward at 9pm at night when I was exhausted and wanted to feed the baby and sleep the same happened when I was transferred back down 24 hours later. My husband was finally told what I was being treated for after me repeatedly asking. There was also confusion over my mental health condition and staff did not speak to me about this and as I found out by reading my post natal notes that they had it completely wrong.
Vaginal birth to twin girls Oct 20
Maternity
July 24, 2021
Induction for my twins at 37 weeks was started, then delayed after 6 hours due to no beds and lack of staff. When the senior midwife arrived she broke my waters and labour was kick started again. I had to move wards 3 times during my 4 hour labour and couldn’t get comfy anywhere, again due to staffing and rooming issues. Food was absolutely dreadful. I did not have one fresh piece of fruit or vegetables whilst I was staying for 3 nights. As a breastfeeding mum I thought this was absolutely shocking. The food must change.
No idea what records were kept, I had pieces of paper all over the place. After our stay we were readmitted on day 5 due to jaundice and undiagnosed tongue tie in both my twins. We had not received any breastfeeding support and no one had checked my girls latch when we left, so milk transfer from myself to my girls was poor. I am so grateful to (name removed) who helped me enormously with breastfeeding.
No idea what records were kept, I had pieces of paper all over the place. After our stay we were readmitted on day 5 due to jaundice and undiagnosed tongue tie in both my twins. We had not received any breastfeeding support and no one had checked my girls latch when we left, so milk transfer from myself to my girls was poor. I am so grateful to (name removed) who helped me enormously with breastfeeding.
