Hospital Wards

All I can say is...it sounds very scary being in a hospital but I would feel less fearful if I had competent nurses like Nicole and Alicia looking after me. I know the bureaucracy stands in there way a lot of the time....but at least they think on their feet (out of the box) and try to make the best experience possible for the patient. 

Sometimes that is what makes the real difference in a bad situation! 

Our oldest daughter was in a 8 bed ward last December in Winchester.  It was not full and I was able to have the bed next to her.  I was very pleased with the care and attention that she received.   
When she was 10 weeks old she was at Texas Children's Hospital for a week.  Four babies to one nurse-I came in early one morning to find her laying there covered in poop with her NG tube still hooked up to the 60ml syringe-her last feed had been about 2 hours previous.  Since she didn't make a fuss the nurse did not bother to check up on her. 
Bad experiences in a ward are not limited to the NHS. 

   

I guess I lucked out in the maternity ward department. I'm pretty sure its due to the fact that I had a c-section but I had a huge room all to myself with my own bathroom. My room even had another queen size bed and a couch for visitors. The only gripe I had was I couldn't get out of bed (due to the surgery & also because of having that thing (cant remember) inside me so I couldn't go pee naturally), and they would forget about me when it came to mealtimes, I mentioned it to a nurse and she said I should've gotten up and walked to the cafeteria...yeah..lemme just grab my pee bag and waddle over where everyones eating

I guess I lucked out in the maternity ward department. I'm pretty sure its due to the fact that I had a c-section but I had a huge room all to myself with my own bathroom. My room even had another queen size bed and a couch for visitors. The only gripe I had was I couldn't get out of bed (due to the surgery & also because of having that thing (cant remember) inside me so I couldn't go pee naturally), and they would forget about me when it came to mealtimes, I mentioned it to a nurse and she said I should've gotten up and walked to the cafeteria...yeah..lemme just grab my pee bag and waddle over where everyones eating

I had two c/sections while living here and never had my own room! Youre very lucky!

My mom had surgery in the US in December and we were on an outpatient ward with at least 6 other beds.... and there was a curtain for privacy but they rarely used them.

We were there from early in the morning and were the last ones to leave in the evening.

Earlier the same hospital had sent my mother home with huge blisters that began to rot due to the splint they put on. With no after care because hey it was the Christmas holiday!

My dad has also almost been in a ward or in a two person room situation in the USA.

Once he had his own room only to be moved in the middle of the night ... oddly they still tried to charge his insurance for the private room...

I think it all depends on what type of insurance you have and where you live.

I've seen both ward situations and top notch OB/GYN care in the UK.

I was very impressed with the level of care and privacy given to my friend who lost her baby at 6 months. She was given a private room and nurses that sat up with her when she could not sleep as well as flexible visting hours.

This was in Derby.