I wasn’t shocked at all today to read that the hospital, Queen Alexandra in Portsmouth, where my children were born and where Tilly has been cared for many times over the last five years was slammed by the Care Quality Commission in their latest report.
I wasn’t shocked at all… No. I was furious. After all, this is the hospital that saved my life when I almost died during childbirth. This is the hospital that safely brought Arlo into the world. The place where Tilly was blue lighted at 3am after an hour long seizure. Where we’ve stayed many many nights. Where we go for a billion appointments a year.
I was furious because I remember the midwife who promised me I’d be okay as I was wheeled to theatre after haemorrhaging and the obstetrician who saved me that day. I remember the paramedics who made it bearable to sit in an ambulance whilst being blue lighted at 3am thirty minutes away (they closed my local hospital) willing my child to stay conscious, the nurses who held my hand as I hopelessly watched my child locked into yet another seizure night after night. The same nurses who always find us a side room because Tilly can’t cope on a busy ward. Who make me toast after a long night and do whatever they can to make such a horrible experience that tiny bit more bearable. Not forgetting the doctors and support staff.
I was furious because I watch the staff at our hospital working themselves into the ground, under staffed and over stretched but always giving us their best. I’ve never felt like anything was too much. They’ve always had time to reassure and double check. I watch them and I get so angry that they’re slated when they try so hard to make things better for us.
So this is my little shout out to the wonderful staff at QA. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for taking such wonderful care of my family and thank you for keeping on even in these difficult times. You make a huge difference to families like mine and you are so very appreciated. Thank you. A million times over.
And a giant middle finger (just for good measure) to our government who have created such impossible working conditions for the amazing NHS staff.
Mama Unexpected 
I can’t praise the staff at QA enough for saving my husband whilst also taking time out to hold me together. And now you take care of my mum, you are amazing people who many people owe you not just the health of their relatives but their own sanity. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart
I also can’t praise them enough being diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer I can honestly say the oncology dept and f7 are absolutely awesome always on time for my treatment and very helpful with anything they can assist with and always smiling no matter how busy they all are. Well done everyone keep up the good work !!!
I’ve got nothing but praise for QA hospital and staff they’ve looked after my husband spendedly the staff are friendly and polite thanks again to all down to the team who keep the hospital clean and the girlies who serve the food xx
What an amazing post. I feel very similarly about QA… They saved my firstborn during a traumatic and difficult labour. They were just as fantastic in my second and third labours, particularly in my third pregnancy when I had a load of complications and saw me almost every day in my final weeks gestation. And then when I didn’t think they could better themselves, my little boy fell poorly at 14 weeks old. Within an hour we had been moved from an out of hours doctors apt to CAU, had bloods and urine tests, had a lumber puncture, had antibiotics administered intra muscularly, given us a room and generally looked after not just my little boy but his petrified mother. Like you I have only ever seen hard work and dedication from everybody I’ve come into contact with. Such a shame the CQC couldn’t have been with me that night….
QA is an amazing hospital and between myself, my partner and our son we have been looked after superbly. Myself on the maternity ward, my son breaking his arm, and my partner falling of a roof. Keep up the good work QA. X
Great hospital, giving their utmost best every working day. The great team if doctors and nurses over every department work tirelessly every single day to provide the best care to all that need it. Its easy for people to critisise from the outside, but if you could only experience what goes on every day, and the conditions they have to work with at tines, you wouldn’t critisise. We should be thankful for the care that’s provided, and at a high standard. Doctors and nurses working well over their allocated hours at times to provide that leval of care. I say a big thank you to each and every one of them, even down to the cleaners. Here’s to Q.A. keep doing what you do best…. CARE. Thank you.
I think we are very lucky to have the QA my Dad was treated in the renal unit and we had many hours visiting and the care he received was extremely good the staff in this busy hospital all seem to be caring and considerate even if overworked. I also attended with my Mum who had radiotherapy for brain cancer and the radiotherapy team were great.
Reblogged this on The love of God and commented:
The ‘state’ of this Nation. (Just thought I’d warn you).
Sometimes, it’s right to protect the unprotected. Those of our people in the UK who continue to save lives under he harshest of conditions. No longer does this only happen in the Third World, as we know it. And someone got angry.
Thank you for caring.
I also want to add to the comments, I personally have had to use the hospital on many occasions and have nothing but praise for the treatment I received, my mother has been in QA numerous times, once was to save her life as she had two clots on her lung, and other times when, although there was nothing seriously wrong she was treated with the utmost respect, tolerance and care. The nursing staff have always gone above and beyond, they have been approachable, caring and although over stretched done their very best……from a very grateful local resident…..you are the best ! !
After being rushed into QA hospital being diagnosed with appendices just about to abrupt then rushed down to theatre I can say if it wasn’t for the quick response of the staff in would not be here today writing this so thank you to QA hospital you all do such a great job
I have just spent 3 months in QA 2 of those in intensive care and I could not agree more! They saved my life over an over again in the first two weeks and then in the months to follow they bent over backwards to do everything they could to make mine and my family’s stay that little bit easier! And 2 years ago my son was born there and they saved his life after complications during birth! QA are amazing!
I had 2 T.I.A.’s in 2010 and lost a few days of my life that I can’t remember. I understand that the staff at the QA were fantastic. I have a few little leftovers from them but all in all I’ve done pretty well considering. All due to the dedication of drs, nurses and radiologists at QA.
My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at QA after a routine blood test there. It was a very scary day for our family and the staff at the QA were so caring and reassuring. The team that manage him both in the hospital and that come to our home, to make sure he’s ok are absolutely fantastic. They are ALWAYS on the end of the phone 24/7 if we need them for anything. They go above and beyond to give my son the best care he could possibly have.
I feel that q.a staff go above and beyond there duties. They are all so dedicated and patient friendly donot damn the hospital and staff where would we be without their dedication
Although I have a hugely different experience. I work with adults who have learning disabilities and the way they are treated is appalling. You have a voice, people such as this do not. I saw neglect on the most basic level. As a visitor I helped my service-users room mates to the toilet, I gave them drinks, I helped them eat. Support staff, nurses would just leave the meals/drinks there. They didn’t realise or understand that vulnerable adults often need coaxing. The other patients in the ward had dementia and I rarely saw a nurse in the room. My service-user wasn’t understood because they don’t understand severe learning disabilities, they thought she wasn’t thirsty because she didn’t ask for a drink. She doesn’t talk… ever…!!! She was unable to verbally communicate. She died… she died on the ward, she died hearing a patient screaming in pain because she had been left on the bed pan over an hour, she died hearing another patient sobbing because she wet herself while waiting for the commode. She went in with a broken hip and died of multiple organ failure. I am only a support worker and my concerns went on deaf ears… the service-user had no real family so she had nobody to fight for her. I fought and I complained. Vulnerable adults aren’t getting the support they need in a hospital such as QA as most of the nurses do not understand the demands of dementia and learning disabilities. I went to a funeral which should of never happened… this was over a year ago and I am still angry, I am hurt that a person who has either dementia or learning disabilities aren’t valued the same way an ‘able-bodied’ person is. I am so glad that each of you have good words to say, but this report may of angered you but I am more angry about those who has died without a voice because they are disabled. You are alive… they are not… Xxx
Sadly this is the case in every hospital. I work in maternity and we work our backsides off to provide safe and empathetic care for all those who walk through our doors. This against a backdrop of massive staff shortages, impossible targets, poor wages, long hours, no breaks and a government that is doing it’s utmost to cripple us. Thank you so much for your lovely message of appreciation ❤️
QA were amazing when my youngest daughter was born, the theatre staff and NICU staff were amazing at reassuring us that everything was going to be ok. She was a planned c-section but she was breach and tiny (at full term). Nothing was too much bother for them during our stay and the way they cared for both me and Imogen was first class, to all the staff at QA (including my friends who work there) old your heads up high, you do an amazing job with little praise, keep doing what you are doing, because for this one mum, you made days that were scary bearable, you understood and comforted and helped me and my daughter and I will never forget that. And every time I drink a cup of tea or eat marmite on toast I think of the amazing staff who stopped my fears, hugged me and made me smile!
Feel so sorry for staff at QA, I am under the care of 5 different depts at QA and have had very good care, the staff do their best, I am treated for a very rare Auto Immune disease which was diagnosed by doctors at QA, and also for Cancer and have received good care there. The problems are not all funding related, there are too few staff, for patients, the hospital is too small for the area it has to cover and was in debt from day 1 because it was updated through a private finance initiative. I have appointments at least once a month there and see how very hard the doctors and nurses work and still keep cheerful. Until polititions get the hell out of it, things will never change, none of them have a clue what to do, also stop paying CEO eyewatering salaries. My very sincere thanks to all staff at QA, God Bless you all