Birmingham Womens Hospital
Feedback Rating
Based on 1245 reviews
Reviews (1245)
Not a pleasant experience
December 10, 2018
I am not happy with the waiting time to see the consultant. Waiting over two hours is not good enough. Not a pleasant experience especially when a women is pregnant. Reception staff not helpful.
Shocking service - Unbelievable !!
Haematology
October 25, 2018
Shocking service in regards to taking bloods. Nurses Just hanging away, discussing what they want for lunch. I was advised that they will see me in 10 mins but after 45 mins still waiting. Unbelievable !!
very poor experience on the ward
Gynaecology
July 17, 2018
I was admitted for an operation and had a very poor experience on the ward. My care by the theatre staff and the recovery room as excellent, but because the ward was so bad, it's made my overall experience very negative. Firstly when I was admitted I was extremely anxious, and they placed me in a bay that had patients who had been there overnight already. I felt like I was intruding. My relative wanted to stay for a few minutes to help settle me in but the staff refused saying it wasn't allowed. I was so anxious and they did nothing to help make me feel better. It was my first time being admitted onto a ward, and I didn’t know what I should do.
It was chaotic when rounds happened, and afterwards they changed my position in the list, and suddenly hurried over urging me to change straight away. They gave no explanations on how to change, and didn’t even give me the underwear I needed. Then I was bleeding heavily, and had to ask for pads as I was bleeding through what they provided, which felt embarrassing.
The care from the surgical team was good, and the care in recovery was excellent. However I was in extreme pain and required two rounds of morphine to settle me.
After the operation, it look a long time for the staff to pick me up from the recovery suite. I had been told that the ward staff would help to make me more comfortable and would give me further pain relief. They didn't do this at all, and I found out several hours later that they hadn't even looked at my drug chart or seen that the operation I'd had was more extensive than originally planned. They just completely disregarded me.
I had to ring the buzzer to ask a nurse to help me get up to go to the bathroom. The nurse shouted across the ward "who's buzzing!!" and I had to shout over that it was me. She went to assist me to get up but I was still partially dressed from theatre, so I asked her to draw the curtains so I had some privacy whilst getting up, which she sighed at and was reluctant to do. I felt like I had no dignity whatsoever.
I later on felt very nauseous and pressed the buzzer as I had no sick bowl near my bed and was worried I would throw up everywhere. Again she just shouted to the room "who's buzzing me now!!" and I had to say it was me. She didn't even come to my bedside and ask me what was wrong, and just shouted I should lie down and it would pass.
I was given a sandwich to eat, which was nearly inedible. The bread was wet and fillings limp. I had to keep asking for more water to drink as they only gave a small amount and my throat was dry from the tubes.
I had agreed with the Drs to start a new injection based treatment that day. When they tried to discharge me, I hadn’t received this treatment. The nurse was very unhappy about me asking for this treatment, at first saying she’d never heard of it, and saying it hadn’t been ordered by the Dr and I’d have to come back another day. I insisted the Dr said to have the treatment that day. It was after this that she finally found my chart, which they hadn’t checked at all since I came back from surgery and realised they’d made a mistake not giving me the treatment.
My relative had come to pick me up, and was waiting with me. The nurse said visiting hours would be ending soon, and they’d have to leave! We refused and thankfully she backed down. I also requested more pain relief as it was in a lot of pain and it had been 4 hours since I’d last had any relief, and she refused. She said did I want pain relief or to go home??!! Eventually she gave me a low dose of codeine, which did nothing for my pain.
My consultant then came to see me, and the nurse who had been horrible to me all day was suddenly nice, when she realised the extent of my surgery.
I was so glad to leave, I couldn’t stand being shouted at and not given pain relief any longer.
It was chaotic when rounds happened, and afterwards they changed my position in the list, and suddenly hurried over urging me to change straight away. They gave no explanations on how to change, and didn’t even give me the underwear I needed. Then I was bleeding heavily, and had to ask for pads as I was bleeding through what they provided, which felt embarrassing.
The care from the surgical team was good, and the care in recovery was excellent. However I was in extreme pain and required two rounds of morphine to settle me.
After the operation, it look a long time for the staff to pick me up from the recovery suite. I had been told that the ward staff would help to make me more comfortable and would give me further pain relief. They didn't do this at all, and I found out several hours later that they hadn't even looked at my drug chart or seen that the operation I'd had was more extensive than originally planned. They just completely disregarded me.
I had to ring the buzzer to ask a nurse to help me get up to go to the bathroom. The nurse shouted across the ward "who's buzzing!!" and I had to shout over that it was me. She went to assist me to get up but I was still partially dressed from theatre, so I asked her to draw the curtains so I had some privacy whilst getting up, which she sighed at and was reluctant to do. I felt like I had no dignity whatsoever.
I later on felt very nauseous and pressed the buzzer as I had no sick bowl near my bed and was worried I would throw up everywhere. Again she just shouted to the room "who's buzzing me now!!" and I had to say it was me. She didn't even come to my bedside and ask me what was wrong, and just shouted I should lie down and it would pass.
I was given a sandwich to eat, which was nearly inedible. The bread was wet and fillings limp. I had to keep asking for more water to drink as they only gave a small amount and my throat was dry from the tubes.
I had agreed with the Drs to start a new injection based treatment that day. When they tried to discharge me, I hadn’t received this treatment. The nurse was very unhappy about me asking for this treatment, at first saying she’d never heard of it, and saying it hadn’t been ordered by the Dr and I’d have to come back another day. I insisted the Dr said to have the treatment that day. It was after this that she finally found my chart, which they hadn’t checked at all since I came back from surgery and realised they’d made a mistake not giving me the treatment.
My relative had come to pick me up, and was waiting with me. The nurse said visiting hours would be ending soon, and they’d have to leave! We refused and thankfully she backed down. I also requested more pain relief as it was in a lot of pain and it had been 4 hours since I’d last had any relief, and she refused. She said did I want pain relief or to go home??!! Eventually she gave me a low dose of codeine, which did nothing for my pain.
My consultant then came to see me, and the nurse who had been horrible to me all day was suddenly nice, when she realised the extent of my surgery.
I was so glad to leave, I couldn’t stand being shouted at and not given pain relief any longer.
Treatment not planned well - no join up
Gynaecology
June 28, 2018
Had an appointment and saw the consultant's registrar as consultant wasn't available. She hadn't read my file in advance, and didn't even know I'd had a scan that she had to get the results for. As such it was a delay getting the information, making my appointment longer. She said she'd write in a couple week with a new treatment option. Right now I'm without any treatment at all which worries me. The new treatment option though I can't get from the hospital. They've said I have to contact my own GP and get them to refer me to yet another service to access the treatment. It's only something simple, I can't believe the services aren't joined up better. Meanwhile it's a long delay for me taking weeks to sort without treatment. Why can't it be easier for patients??
Long waits for fertility treatment
Gynaecology
March 12, 2018
GP referred us here for fertility issues. Had one appointment which did screening for us both, but the next appointment was for 8 months later, and then cancelled and now isn't for a full year later. A year without treatment. The screening showed that need to seek urgent medical appointment.
Our GP has chased, but it's not changing. Hospital says it's staff shortage.
Our GP has chased, but it's not changing. Hospital says it's staff shortage.
Doctor and consultant didn't care
Gynaecology
March 7, 2018
Had an outpatients appointment and had been in extreme pain for weeks before it. Waited for over two hours to even be seen, and had been very uncomfortable in the waiting area, and was reduced to tears. When I was finally seen, Dr was very uncaring. She did an examination which was very painful and left me on the trolley undressed for 20 minutes on my own in an exam room. She went to ask the consultant to come and examine me, but the consultant refused to come. Dr eventually came back and told me to dress, and that they wouldn't do anything without further tests, which I'd have to wait months for. She offered a treatment that I had already tried before that hadn't worked. By this time I was extremely distressed as I was in a lot of pain, and she did nothing to try and calm me down. Just said they could do nothing and to go to A&E if I couldn't wait for the tests. Clearly this Dr hadn't had the proper training to speak to actual patients in that state, or human compassion.
Range of midwives & doctors = range of experi
Maternity
March 1, 2018
Being seen by different doctors and midwives meant inconsistent quality of care and friendliness
Nurse led appointment was good
Gynaecology
February 13, 2018
Attended the nurse led clinic and it was a world apart from the poor care I've received at the hospital previously. The clinic was on time, the nurse very knowledgeable and friendly and I felt confident in the care I was receiving. Just a shame it's so terrible elsewhere at this hospital.
Lack of communication and care
November 23, 2017
I was taken into the Birmingham Women's Hospital to be induced to have my baby. Upon labour I didn't know 'till many hours later but delivering my daughter caused an aortic dissection. I felt like an elephant was sat on my chest and I couldn't breathe. I was given Gaviscon for indigestion and put on a ward after bleeping a doctor numerous times. I wasn't taken seriously. After finally being observed now 4 hrs later I was taken to high dependency unit. There an ambulance took me to the QE as a CT scan showed an aortic dissection. I was an 80% fatality (risk) and had a 15 hr operation to fix me. If the Women's would have listened to me things might have been different but from lack of communication between staff and not listening to the patient - being myself. More care should be taken and the patients voice is the most important. Also acting quicker would be key.
Really excellent staff
April 13, 2017
Staff really helpful and friendly and services brilliant.
