'It was hideous' - Banbury Mum describes over-run wards and poor care at Oxford maternity unit

Stacey Addison’s case is one of 41 in a Keep the Horton General dossier of accounts describing – in mothers’ own words - the effects of the downgrade of the Horton’s consultant-led maternity unit, forcing nearly all mothers to give birth at the JR.

Ms Addison started labour on Christmas day, 2018. She had her baby at the Horton on December 27.

"The midwives were professional, caring and supportive. We had a lovely water birth; the midwife was so reassuring. We were discharged later that day.

"Later that evening I began to feel unwell with fever and excruciating abdominal pain. I self-medicated with paracetamol and ibuprofen and slept as much as I could between feeds and enjoying my other two children.”

Her GP visited and the JR advised her to travel to Oxford to be seen. She packed her baby’s and her needs and said goodbye to her children.

“I arrived at the JR within two hours – it’s an hour's drive away. Notes collected, urine sample done, I was placed in a side room. After 2-3 hours, a midwife/nurse finally came in to take some bloods,” she said.

“I had been advised not to take pain medication beforehand as they may want to give me something different. I was in agony. I asked for some pain relief whilst the nurse/midwife was there, she said she would be back with some.

“After 8 hours no one had come back. My partner went to find someone, to be told that someone would come ‘when they were free’. I was in a lot of pain and now with an excruciating headache. I sent my partner to the car to get me some pain relief I had there. They didn’t touch the pain.

“Finally, someone came to take me to the ward - still no pain relief, more pain over every bump. There was no information on what was happening. They placed me in the middle of a bright, noisy ward with lots of screaming babies.

"I buried my head under the pillow, I felt that bad. Luckily my baby was well-behaved and my partner very supportive. 1-2hrs passed and a midwife came.

“She ripped the pillow off my head and just stood there staring at me without a word. I couldn’t take much more so I discharged myself. They tried to barricade the doors, tried to get security to keep me in and then tried to guilt trip my partner into keeping me in, telling him if I went home, he would need to call an ambulance, so it was his job to talk me into staying.

"I did need to go back the following day as I wasn’t better. I called Warwick Hospital first to see if they would see me; I really didn’t want to go back to the JR, but I was advised because the JR had my blue notes, I needed to go back.

“On arrival, I was met by a rude midwife. I got placed in that same room and told to wait whilst they found my notes. After 1-2 hours a nurse/midwife came to place me on intravenous fluids. She didn’t wear gloves, she didn’t prep the skin and failed the first attempt.

"She did say my infection markers were really really high so I needed fluids and antibiotics. She ran freezing cold fluids through the back of my hand so fast it hurt, then proceeded to shove stinging antibiotics through.

“I was given some morphine and taken to a crazily busy ward. No one told me what was happening. The plan for my treatment changed every time a different doctor came on shift.

"The midwives were rude. They were short staffed and didn’t keep up to date with medications so my antibiotics were late, my pain relief would wear off, my temperature would shoot up and I would be back to feeling so awful I would press the buzzer. I was made to feel I was being a nuisance not waiting until they did my observations. Then they would say ‘oh gosh that’s high, you must feel poorly’. This continued for three days.

“Abdominal scans hadn’t revealed anything. The antibiotics brought down my infection markers but not a huge amount. The late on day 3, I was exhausted from no sleep on the ward (my baby still well-behaved). I was advised I needed another ultrasound.

"I got walked round by a male doctor, who advised me he needed to insert the probe into my cervix but there wasn’t a chaperone available so I would basically have to deal with it. He wasn’t overly comforting and he really wasn’t gentle with the probe and hurt me. I asked him to stop.”

“On the fourth day a midwife who had been rushed off her feet 3 days before, came on shift, told me I looked awful and moved me to a side room so I could sleep. I tried to find out what they were treating me for. She said they were treating me for sepsis because they didn’t know. This was the first I had heard of it.

“Day 5 came and I'd had enough. I was feeling much better and less painful and asked to go home. They were vile in their response and said they were that busy they didn’t know if they had time to get all my medications ready. Hours and hours later I was discharged but had to go and collect my own medication.

“Overall a hideous stay and to avoid ending back in the JR as an older mum, I chose to have my fourth baby (November 2023) in Warwick Hospital.”

If you have been affected by a traumatic birth experience contact [email protected]