James Paget Hospital

Individual midwives and staff were mostly excellent. However staff were so severely overstretched that when I was starting labour, despite requesting it, I couldn’t get pain relief for 7 hours until the next shift started. Had other delays in care due to shortages too.

The drs opinions were really inconsistent, delivery suite, antenatal and lab all seemed to have different policies regarding birth and antibiotics and strep b. The way drs spoke to midwife staff and patients in delivery suite was shocking. No permission for exams, undermining midwives and refusing to give patients information

From the moment I entered the hospital to give birth, I feel like I have given up all control over how I wanted things to go. I was denied pain medication, anti-nausea medication, despite being told I could have it, I was just never given it. I didn’t feel supported or encouraged. I was reluctant to have the hormone drip but was forced to have it despite there being no medical reason to have it. I feel all of this contributed to a horrible experience and unfortunately, both my baby and I became distressed and the dilation was brought on too quickly for my body and after 2 hours of pushing, I had to have a forceps delivery in theatre.
I was then given little support following the birth, just constantly checked for blood pressure but really it felt like very little care was given. I was then told not to go home that night as I hadn’t mastered breastfeeding but I wasn’t given any help. I felt like I was being told off. I had no sleep for 48 hours and only one midwife was kind enough to look after my baby while I got an hours sleep. It completely ruined my birthing experience and has left me anxious, distressed and full of guilt and shame. I wish I had stayed at home a lot longer but I was told to go in to hospital and in hindsight I regret going in so much. My immediate instinct was that if I ever have a future child, I don’t want to be anywhere near a hospital for the birth. Except that I feel terrified that I won’t be able to cope as giving birth the first time was the least empowering thing I have ever done so I honestly don’t know whether I will be brave enough to have another baby. Which is so incredibly upsetting as I never wanted to have an only child.

The only person I have a positive memory of is the Dr who actually delivered the baby. He seemed to be the only one who spoke to me with real kindness and compassion and took the time to check in with me and my partner to see how we were doing. Everyone else just told me what I could or couldn’t do or gave me instructions and didn’t listen to my needs at all.

I attended for an MRI scan at the new North MRI site. This is a purpose-built facility and very impressive. The experience could not be faulted - the staff were extremely efficient, but also helpful and friendly.

Was seen by the breast clinic in October 2022 and they have worked so hard the past year trying to work out what was going on for me, I did struggle at first with not seeing the same doctor but once I was assigned to one doctor she was amazing, I had multiple tests done as we didn’t want to jump straight into surgery. I was seen every 2-3 months and when we exhausted all options I was scheduled to have an operation. I had my operation on the 11/12/23 my doctor reassured me and explained the possible outcomes because we weren’t sure what was going to be found! The receptionists greet you with a lovely smile and the team who work within the Broadland suite are all so lovely and caring. They make you feel at ease and always remember your face. I am so grateful for the care I received from these amazing people :)

I use this service three times a week and it is an excellent service. They have now organised the patient transport as just got too much with travelling and that service is pretty good. Can run over time but not too much.
the hospital understand that this happens and so the treatment still happens.

Traumatic experience regarding the procedure. All staff, consultants, anaesthetist very reassuring and professional.
They were able to reduce the trauma I was feeling and explained each step of the gynaecology surgery in clear and professional terms. Surgeon and anaesthetist visited me following the procedure with the findings of the surgery and explained what they had been able to remove and the biopsy tests that would be performed. I owe all the staff a huge debt of gratitude. At my age, I had been terrified of the impending surgery, they reassured me and were so kind, they enabled me to feel less apprehensive.

They have on an ongoing basis looked after me well with my skin cancer. Having had to go in for removals three times, and they continue to keep and eye on me. all very thorough and very prompt in sorting things.
I get a review regularly.

Being told that the second knee operation is urgent in my mind means it will be done soon. I have had no correspondence and this is now almost a year later. Very concerned how it is putting pressure on the new good knee, and that I am a 'accident waiting to happen.' They need to communicate better with you, as their 'urgent' clearly is not the same as my understanding of what 'urgent' is.

My first child I had a trainee midwife who was very unsure as to what she was doing, hit me in the head by accident, and hadn't uncapped the fluid stopper so therefore I wasn't receiving fluids until I had said it was still capped. My second birth was a twin birth in covid restrictions. My husband was sent home after my c section only for me to be told he shouldn't of been sent home as he could be in neotnatal with our daughter, something which I never understood as he wasn't allowed in a side room with me and his son yet was allowed into a ward of sick babies. The midwives were rude, talking about each other to me and just very disrespectful. The only person I can speak highly of is [name redacted]. She was my life saviour, making me smile, helping with the twins and even went and bought me food from the cafe with her own money.