The Tunbridge Wells Hospital

I CAME INTO PEMBURY HOSP VIA SAU WITH AN ONGOING GALL BLADDER AND GALL STONE PROBLEM. I WAS MOVED TO WARD 10.THE WARD THE CORRIDORS AND MY ROOM WAS VERY CLEAN AND TIDY. THE WARD SISTER AND THE NURSES.THE SURGICAL STAFF. THE MEDICAL STAFF.THE CLEANERS.THE KITCHEN STAFF. THEY WERE ALL VERY CARING VERY HELPFUL WITH THE SMALLEST OF ANY PROBLEM. EVERYBODY WHO WORKS ON WARD 10 ARE JUST AMAZING PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR PATIENTS AND THEIR JOBS WITH THE NHS. WELL DONE EVERYBODY.

Our nurse Barry was excellent, very calm and understanding as our son is non verbal and autistic. We felt reassured and confident in his ability! Very professional.

Much better all round than the A&E department of our previous local hospital. What would have been good was an information sheet as to refreshments available in the reception area, and procedure for paying for car parking. My mother came in by ambulance about midnight, I was gasping for a cup of coffee before I drove home in the early hours, and I got lost leaving the ward she was admitted to.

Seen by triage nurse quickly and diagnosis of problem and required treatment carried out efficiently. X-ray required and carried out with minimum delay. Second meeting with triage nurse took longer but Craig was very efficient explaining the problem and the likely treatment. A call was made to the doctor to view X-ray but no contact made and message left. The system then broke down as it took couple of hours for the doctor to call us into the inner consulting area and explain the next treatment needed. The consultant took over the treatment of my broken wrist with the doctor to try to straighten the broken bone by manual pressure and then fix the break with a plaster cast. The straightening did not work so consultant confirmed that I would stay in hospital and have full operation the following day. It took nearly an hour to have the second X-ray because the paper work was not available although the X-ray staff were available and ready to carry out the work. It took another hour to sort the bed out so by the time I was in my room we had been in A&E 6 hours. No attempt was made during the time I was waiting for the doctor and the second X-ray and providing a room to explain why there was a delay and the procedure needed to complete the treatment I needed. All the staff on duty spent most of their time writing by long hand detailed notes but also working on the computer screens to contact the right person for each element of the treatment to make sure some progress was being made or to leave messages to be phoned back. More people in A&E may help but at the doctor and consultant level where the delays are excessive and time with the patient can be critical in determining the best treatment and any follow up organisation of the use of other hospital services. My sincere thanks for all the attention I received in A&E and in the main hospital to mend my broken wrist AND hopefully the operation will have been successful when the plaser cast is removed. My special thanks to Craig who was on duty as one of the triage team and explained the details on my X-ray and the alternative treatments that were possible for the other doctors on duty that evening.

I had a very mixed experience with different midwives. I was transferred from Maidstone birth centre at 9cm dilation because time was running out - I had 24 hours to give birth from the early breaking of my waters. The first midwife we were assigned at the hospital was not supportive of our hynpobirthing and active labour. Examples are given below. I feel this significantly impacted my labour, causing distress and ultimately contributing to the ceasing of my contractions which then led to syntocin, failed ventouse and eventual forceps with episiotomy and additional tearing. I had almost 6 hours in second stage of labour. Fortunately there was a shift change just before the interventions began, and whilst too late to prevent intervention, the new midwife, the head of midwives, the consultant and the rest of the team were excellent. In particular, the emphasis was on a collaborative approach which was appreciated. Examples: Upon arrival i was told that the only place i could labour was on the bed. The midwife repeatedly insisted i should lie on my back on the bed despite it reducing the pelvic space and not helping my back to back labour. Midwife declared lights couldn't be turned down and noises on the machines couldn't be silenced. This was contradicted by the midwife covering her break who immediately offered to turn the lights down upon arrival into the room. The heartbeat monitor kept losing signal during contractions and midwife claimed it didn't look good for her notes (there were no concerns about baby at this point) and that the only solution was to lie on my back. The covering midwife gave an alternative solution to place a clip on baby's head, to which we agreed. The midwife placed the clip and conducted an internal examination at the same time. She did not gain consent for the latter procedure. The midwife left me kneeling in sodden absorbent sheets for hours resulting in large blisters. At the change over the new midwife immediately changed the bed sheets. Communication was poor. The midwife announced i was 10cm dilated and that I could begin controlled pushing after 2hours. When informed that my body was already pushing she ignored the comment refused to assist. After several hours, controlled pushing was agreed to. The midwife said this had to be done lying on my back and my breath had to be held for each push. The midwife agreed to a compromise of lying on one side but insisted there was no other option to breath holding. The new midwife and consultant both contradicted this later and said i could breath through the pushing. Subsequently i had a hematoma, possibly due to this breath holding instruction. Upon arrival the new midwife got me straight off the bed to try various positions to encourage the baby out. Unfortunately, by this time my contractions were easing off. The initial midwife had no interest in allowing me off the bed which was hugely frustrating. In addition the new midwife quickly located the bar for the bed to allow new positions on the bed. This was not considered by the initial midwife. The midwife's attitude was very much one that was going to tell me how to labour with no discussion of consideration for my wishes. I found this part of my labour hugely traumatic and have since been referred for counselling. Upon discussion with my community midwife, it was suggested that I faced a locum midwife rather than a regular worker at the hospital. I would suggest that all midwives are checked to ensure they are fully trained in active labours.