A woman whose daughter-in-law gave birth in Princess Alexandra Hospital said she was appalled after learning she had been put on antibiotics for a condition she did not have.

She describes the staffing after birth care as resembling the treatment of "an animal in the jungle".

Here is her first hand account:

 

"My daughter in law had her first baby at Princess Alexandra Hospital and her labour was stop and go.

My son was very upset because he did not know what was going on.

She then had a Caesarean section and we thought all was well, only to be told she couldn’t go home as she had a water infection.

She was put on antibiotics and after a day she was asked why she was on antibiotics as she didn’t have a water infection – somebody else in the ward did which meant they hadn’t been receiving treatment. Appalling.

My grandchild was born at 9.30pm and my daughter-in-law was still sitting in the dirty, bloody sheets she had given birth in when I visited at 3.30pm the next day.

I asked the staff if she could be cleaned up and got told they would when they had time.

After 10 minutes they arrived but were acting like it was a big effort and they were very, very rude.

It was like they were treating an animal in the jungle."

Responding to the woman's account, a spokesman for the hospital said: 

"Our Maternity staff consistently receive excellent feedback from the Friends and Family Test and we take pride in the high level of care they provide.  

We would welcome the opportunity to look into this lady’s complaint and to try to establish the facts. 

However, we can only do this if she contacts us directly, which we hope she feels able to do, so that we can address any issues."

 

In a new series on the NHS, the Guardian will feature experiences of patients, their families and staff of treatment provided across east London and west Essex. As A&Es continue to struggle with demand and politicians argue over the future of healthcare, we will publish first-hand accounts, features and news stories on the latest developments. We want to hear from you if you have something to say about your local hospital, GP surgery, or clinic. Click here for contact details of reporters covering your area. Alternatively,you can submit a story here.