Community Services - Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

The midwife team at hilltop were the most warm, helpful and kindest staff I have experienced within the NHS for a while! Particularly Rosie, Cara and Sam, throughout my pregnancy I felt informed and looked after. After I gave birth I was very over whelmed and emotional and every single time there was support from the 3 above especially with feeding, I feel midwives don’t get the recognition they deserve with how much they actually contribute to a new mums well being! Honestly the most lovely team.

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I went to have a coil fitted today on 22/10/2021 @ 3:30. The lady at the clinic was very professional yet friendly to make me feel comfortable. She demonstrated the ki d of professionalism, regard for a patient all whilst being mindful of maintaining dignity. Her colleague who joined her was equally professional and friendly. Chatted to me and made me feel less conscious while the coil was being fitted.

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Sam was very helpful and provided me with lots of information about my care. I prefer having the telephone consultation prior to appointment

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I contacted the service for an appointment re an online test result which was unfortunately positive. From this point on the service was excellent, from a speedy appointment being made, with a follow up call from a nurse, to the actual appointment. All members of staff that handled my case were professional, friendly, efficient, and made the experience bearable, and reassuring that I was in the right hands. The service is well organised, with an excellent team. Pat, Lily, Emma, and Dr Ali are a credit to the team and I can't thank them enough.

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My community Midwives, most importantly Annie was always welcoming, kind and available.

My community midwives could not do anything better.

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Dear sirs, Hi my name is Alex, I would like to take the opportunity to inform the barking clinic (Upney) that Sonny YuChang’s service & care for his patients has always been outstanding. As you know it can be an embarrassing situation to be under when attending a sexual Heath clinic. You feel embarrassed and out of place, well I do anyway. Sonny has always been so kind and helpful every-time I have attended. He truly has care and sympathetic nature but always maintains a professional manner. Most clinics are so far removed from care and empathy, behaving a robotic nature they can make you seem like just another number or just another appointment. With Sonny he takes the time to get to know his patiences and truly build a professional relationship with them. I have seen it for myself and also how he interacts with others. He comes across very genuine and makes you feel comfortable to return again. I praise him for his 10/10 excellent service and hope there are more Sonny’s out there, he is truly a super hero. He should receive employee of the month or management need to recognised his outstanding behaviour, it should not go unnoticed and be rewarded. Thank you once again for all your support over the years Kind regards Alex

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From the point of making an appointment, reception and through to diagnosis, and has been exceptional. Not only for me, I observed the way others were sensitively and discreetly handled at the point of reception, greeted by the professionals and then taken to the clinician rooms. The nurse (Emma Jones) I met initially was the same I saw for treatment, displayed appropriate humour and humanity whilst getting the job done. She was humane. The Doctor (Dr Alam, Hahaad) was comfortable within himself, open to seeking guidance and yet make his own decision. I observed his working relationship with other staff where he maintained a professional interest in the subject, challenged appropriately and responded well to a nurse supporting him. He was professional. The Consultant (Dr Hooi), more than just an expert, with a strong personality and an abundance of personality, he shared and displayed his knowledge and skill in way that was for me; inclusive. With this level of leadership junior doctors and nurses will doubtless gain much, but none more so than the community. A giant amongst his profession. I don't know the names of the other healthcare professionals and staff - neither do I overlook their pleasant and open disposition that facilitated the calm atmosphere when all around them was in change and under pressure . The free WIFI helps if waiting for long and the proximity to the underground are both bonuses.

I understand that walk-in facilities have been suspended, hopefully these will return. I saw a number of potential patients arrive without appointment who were turned away (potentially untreated and undiagnosed). I did not observe if they were signposted (or where lacking capacity/capability assisted) to help ensure they received treatment. No idea about access issues and whilst wheelchairs would not have a problem gaining entry and those will sight issues would certainly need visual aid at the point of entry.

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My pregnancy occurred during the peak of the pandemic when “great care” seemed to be a unobtainable luxury due to changes in how care was provided. It was my first ongoing pregnancy after 10 miscarriages. I was happy but worried at the same time because of my history. I started off without a midwife and at a point I wasn’t sure whether I was coming or going due to lack of clarity. My pregnancy begun to be complicated by raised blood pressure and I had to come to the DAU for regular blood pressure checks. During one of my DAU visits, I met Annie McLoughlin who heard I had no midwife. Annie did not hesitate in offering to be my midwife by joining the Village team. That was the day everything changed for me. My care begun to make sense to me: I had structure, clear plan and pathway and someone to contact as required. Annie is such a great first class midwife. She was always there when I needed her. Annie is caring, hard working, compassionate, respectful, dedicated to her job and works with so much passion it made me feel I was in good hands at all times. I had faith in Annie and trusted her judgements. Annie never put a foot wrong. A very professional midwife who was excellent in her interpersonal skills. Annie made me FEEL SAFE and this was very important to me especially as my pregnancy got complicated. As the pregnancy progressed I also received care from other members of her team including Imogen Davies, Laura and Tamsyn. I could not fault any aspect of the care I received from any of these midwives. In fact there was no disparity between them and Annie. I never had to repeat my history to any of them. One could tell they had good communication system within their team and perhaps good handover. Annie and her fellow midwives really deserve to be recognised by the Trust for the quality of care they provide. The beauty of being under the Village team is that the quality of care I received antenatally continued through my delivery and postnatally. I must also mention very importantly, Margo Sherman. Her attention to detail highlighted my baby’s pathological jaundice. When Margo came to see me, my baby was nearly 23 hrs old. Had she not come to see me in hospital when she did, the pathological jaundice may have been missed. It may have been recognised as a physiological jaundice instead and my baby would not have had the correct treatment. Margo and her team of midwives are the best thing that happen to maternity care in Queens and I have since song their praises to everyone. I would hand on my heart recommend them for every woman. The Continuity of Care with the Village team is in my opinion a safety net and it would be great if every woman had the opportunity to experience it. This is midwifery at its best.

Whilst on the postnatal ward, I was discharged on paper by the postnatal midwife at 13:00. But I was not feeling well enough so I had to wait in my room for my husband to come and take me home. By 18:00 he had still not arrived. The midwife who discharged me was about to go home so she came into my room and took the discharge paperwork and changed the discharge time to 18:00. No care was provided to me since 13:00. What she didn’t realise was I had deteriorated in my health between 13:00 and 18:00 but no one had seen me because in theory I was discharged. Unfortunately at around 19:30, I fitted and was rushed to HDU where my blood pressure was noted to be 200+/160+. I was treated with magnesium sulphate and labetalol infusion, had CT of the head and neuro review. This is a near miss which could have been avoided if the midwives on the ward had at least checked me whilst I was still on the ward.

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Where do I start?! Upminster and Cranham midwives are incredible. I was both under the bereavement team and Cranham & Upminster so felt I had an excellent detailed level of care, it was so important to me that my midwife team knew my background, to which all of them did. Pre natal care was excellent and I was reassured at every step, was able to contact them continuously without judgement and during especially anxious times they made themselves available to listen into baby to provide more reassurance. When it came to birthing my baby, Lauren was absolutely incredible! She read my birth plan, absolutely got me and we clicked and had rapport instantly, she worked out quickly how to manage my pain and work with me to safely deliver our baby. She worked with my husband to provide the most holistic, healing and incredible birth I could have imagined. Having experienced birth trauma previously this experience was the most amazing experience I could have asked for and I am forever greatful to Lauren, Margot, Jo and the rest of the team for taking such great care of me. Also a note that Margo visited us post natally to complete the newborn checks late at night to ensure I was able to leave first thing in the morning!

Absolutely nothing, you ladies are absolutely incredible.

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Sally was fantastic Sarah very helpful in reception

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