"We provide a full range of services and are able to offer women choices with the options of birthing at home, in our birth centre or our delivery suite.
The delivery suite is led by our obstetric doctors and the birth centre is led by our experienced midwives. They are located next to each other.
We aim to provide high quality individualised care and support all women within a service responsive to their needs."
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust has two acute maternity units; one on the Lewisham Hospital site and one on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site Woolwich.
Our maternity services support the births of around 8,000 -9,000 babies per year. We also offer community clinics in all 3 boroughs; Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley providing care that is personalised, respectful and safe which is important to us.
At Queen Elizabeth Hospital we know that during pregnancy there are many choices to make and questions to answer which is why we have designed these app pages to support you and your family to have the best possible experience during this special time.
We are proud of our services and staff that work hard to achieve Trust values every day.
• We treat everyone with respect and compassion
• We work as a team to improve quality
• We take responsibility for our actions
• We work together for patients and colleagues
• We learn, develop and share knowledge
Our Birth Centre is situated along side our delivery suite and has 4 beautiful birthing rooms each with a pool. Our experienced midwifery team support you in your choices facilitating positive birth experiences.
The maternity service was reviewed by the Care Quality Commission in 2018 and was awarded a GOOD rating across all the 5 domains.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, our Trust is adhering to the latest government and NHS England guidance and this is subject to change.
If you choose to have your baby at either Queen Elizabeth Hospital or University Hospital Lewisham you may need to transfer between the units for care during pregnancy or labour, as they operate as one hospital trust (Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust). For more information about this, discuss with your midwife at your first booking appointment. Safe, supportive and personalised care is our priority.
Queen Elizabeth Birth Pool
Transport
Transport options
By Bus: A number of buses stop outside or close to the hospital including: 161, 178, 244, 291, 386, 469, 486.By Train: Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, and Woolwich Arsenal are only a short bus ride away from the hospital.
Parking
There are Pay and Display car parks at the hospital. If you are using a sat nav, you can enter the postcode SE18 4QH.
“Our experienced team of doctors and midwives offer a wide range of birthing choices for women in superb surroundings.”
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s maternity service is based on two sites: King’s College Hospital on Denmark Hill and the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in Farnborough Common. Both sites offer the full range of maternity services.
At the PRUH site we pride ourselves on working hard to provide a service that reflects our Trust values and the promises we have made to abide by these as employees and this is reflected in our service vision.
At the PRUH site, the midwifery team provide midwifery services in a wide range of community settings and these have care pathways set up to support women requiring varying types of support in pregnancy such as perinatal mental health, diabetes, safeguarding and substance misuse. Our catchment area is large, covering the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley. Therefore our community teams are divided into four geographical areas; Beckenham, Bexley and West Bromley, Orpington and Bromley central. Whilst our continuity of carer models were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our aim in 2021 is to create a continuity team in each of these four areas so that all women with more complex needs in their pregnancies can benefit from our enhanced models of care. We also have a low risk continuity of carer team based in the Oasis Birth Centre – in this pathway women receive antenatal care in the birth centre by the midwives based there, so that they are familiar with the environment before they attend in labour.
Our specialist services include
We offer specialist consultant led care for women requiring obstetric input for abnormally invasive placentas, liver disease, renal disease and other co-morbidities. The PRUH site is a primary unit with a level 1 special care baby unit, therefore pregnancies known to require neonatal intensive care will be transferred to the Denmark Hill site for delivery. We offer a consultant midwife birth choices clinic, VBAC group sessions, homebirth service, continuity of carer diabetes pathway and a perinatal mental health service. Ultrasound screening takes place at the Harris Birthright Centre; the department is involved in a lot of research and the department’s research portfolio continues to expand as our experience in these area improves.
The hospital car park is directly off the A21 (Farnborough Common). There is limited pay and display parking, with spaces for disabled badge holders. Standard charges for patient and visitor parking apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Highly skilled and knowledgeable midwives, doctors and support workers work together to offer safe, high quality care to women and their families ensuring this care is safely planned with the women.”
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s maternity service is based on two sites: King’s College Hospital on Denmark Hill and the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in Farnborough Common. Both sites offer the full range of maternity services.
At the Denmark Hill site we pride ourselves on working hard to provide a service that reflects our Trust values and the promises we have made to abide by these as employees and this is reflected in our service vision.
At the Denmark Hill site, the midwifery team provide midwifery services in a wide range of community settings and these have care pathways set up to support women requiring varying types of support in pregnancy such as perinatal mental health, migrant women, safeguarding and substance misuse, utilising our successful continuity of carer and caseload models. These models have currently been paused as a result of staffing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic but when fully operational, an average of 17% of women benefited from our enhanced models of care.
Our specialist services include
The Denmark Hill site is a tertiary unit with a level 3 neonatal unit. We care for women being referred for fetal medicine reviews in our world-renowned Fetal Medicine institute.
We also have specialist services for women with abnormally invasive placentas, liver disease, renal disease and other co-morbidities.
The department also boasts a world class hypertension service which is integral to the comorbidity profile of the population we serve.
These fetal medicine and hypertension services have allowed the department to be involved in a lot of research and the department’s research portfolio continues to expand as our experience in these area improves.
A services map of the geographical areas we cover can be accessed here:
“Your pregnancy journey is an important and exciting experience and we would like to ensure that your maternity care and support is right for you. At Guy's and St Thomas' we offer a wide range of choices and services in hospital, community and home settings.”
Our maternity unit is situated in Central London with unrivalled views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We provide care to around 8,000 pregnant women every year, working alongside the Evelina Children’s Hospital to provide a service from pre-conception to early childhood.
We recognise that having a baby is a transformative life experience for parents. Our aim is to ensure that your journey from early pregnancy to the postnatal period is tailored to meet your and your family’s individualised needs.
We offer a wide range of services ranging from home birth to highly specialised care for women and babies who may require support from a wide range of clinicians. We are proud to have expert staff and a wide range of teams – meaning that we can provide care that other hospitals may not be able to offer.
Whether you have your baby at home or in one of our birth centres, we aim to give you and your baby the best possible start.
At Guys and St Thomas’ Trust we work closely with our service users to review and improve our maternity services in response to their needs. Our Maternity Voices Partnership Chair says ‘What you receive at St Thomas’ hospital is a personalised care that is family friendly and meets your needs’.
Each maternity unit in South East London offers all three locations for birth: home, midwife led unit or obstetric led unit, however, if you are planning a homebirth, you will need to be booked with your closest maternity unit.
Greenwich Domestic Violence and Abuse Service (GDVA) , provides practical advice, emotional support and signposting to support survivors and professionals across London. The advice line can also help you to access refuge accommodation or other specialist domestic violence services.
The Gaia Centre, run by Refuge offers independent, confidential support and advice to any Lambeth resident experiencing domestic abuse (as well as other forms of gender based violence). It is a single point of access for women, girls and men experiencing violence and abuse. This means that anybody experiencing any form of gender-based violence in Lambeth can find all the tailored support they need under one roof.
They also have an early intervention service which supports young people aged 11 up.
There is also access to a number of refuges which offer safe accommodation to those fleeing domestic abuse, although you may need to access refuges in another area of the country for safety reasons.
Refuges can be accessed via the Gaia Centre or by calling the National Domestic Abuse 24/7 freephone helpline:
For more information and a list of support services you can also view Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) which lists all of Lambeth’s support services.
Lewisham
Athena, Lewisham
The Athena service, run by Refuge provides confidential, non-judgmental support to those living in the London Borough of Lewisham who are experiencing gender-based violence. It opened its doors in April 2015 and provides outreach programmes, independent advocacy, group support, refuge accommodation and a specialist service for young women.
Who can use Athena:
• Women and girls aged over 13
• Men aged 16 or older
• Transgender and identifies as male, female, as another gender, or is questioning gender identity
If you are experiencing any kind of domestic or sexual abuse, the Southwark Advocacy and Support Services (SASS) can help. They support people aged 16 and above, who live in Southwark, at risk of domestic or sexual abuse whether they choose to report the abuse to the police or not.
SASS offer support whether you choose to report the abuse to police or not
. They also provide a service for men, women and young people using violence within an intimate or family relationship.
Many of the NHS Trusts and hospitals in South East London have their own charities. These charities raise money via fundraising activities for patients and staff and by coordinating and receiving charitable donations. Money raised is re-invested into service improvement projects. To find out more about your local NHS hospital charity, follow the links below.
You can decide where in South East London you want to receive your maternity care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Your maternity choices in South East London
Women and their families are encouraged to provide feedback either via the individual Trust websites (listed below), Our Healthier South East London or SEL Clinical Commissioning Group. This information collected will be used to ensure continued improvement of services:
The South East London Local Maternity System meet quarterly and work together to drive maternity improvements across the sector. Workstream meetings are held bi-monthly to focus on individual areas of work and the Maternity Delivery Group monthly to monitor progress.
Visit the Our Healthier South East London website to find out more about how you can get involved in health improvement projects in your area.
This app, originally developed by North West London Local Maternity System, has been adapted for use in South East London by South East London Local Maternity System.
If you live outside of South East London, you can still use this app's content and develop your personal care plans. To find your nearest unit follow this link:
In South East London, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (Oxleas) and the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) provide mental health services.
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust has a new trust wide perinatal mental health service. The service is based at Queen Mary’s Hospital and consists of a multidisciplinary team of professionals including team manager, consultant perinatal psychiatrists, specialist perinatal nurses, clinical psychologists, nursery nurses, OT, Social worker and administrators.
These are divided into three small teams for Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich. Each team works closely with midwives, obstetricians, health visiting, other secondary mental health services and children’s social services. There are close links with GPs, IAPT and third sector organisations (including Cocoon, MIND, and Mums Aid).
The service offers specialist assessment, care and treatment for women who are planning a pregnancy, pregnant or up to 12 months postnatal. The team offers a range of specialist interventions, including advice to help women weigh up the risks and benefits of using psychiatric medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
SLAM – The Perinatal Mental Health Team is a multidisciplinary mental health service for pregnant and postnatal women with severe and complex mental illness.
The team aims to prevent, detect and treat perinatal mental health problems. We work to improve the experience of pregnancy and the postpartum period for women and their families, as well as early life experiences for babies.
Women at risk of relapse in pregnancy and following delivery are assessed early in pregnancy to allow them time to consider the treatment and care options available. The Perinatal Mental Health Team works collaboratively with women, their families and other professionals to plan care during pregnancy and the early postpartum period.
The Perinatal Mental Health Teams work jointly with adult mental health services already providing care for a woman when she becomes pregnant. We work in partnership with maternity services, children and families’ social services, primary care and other Trust mental health services.
Our service consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, perinatal nurses, perinatal nursery nurses, midwives, occupational therapists and administrators.
The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP)
This project aims to improve the safety and outcomes of maternal and neonatal care by reducing variation in practice and providing a high quality healthcare experience for all women, babies and their families across England.
PReCePT (Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Labour)
The PReCePT programme aims to reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy in babies born prematurely by giving women a medication called magnesium sulphate during labour. This programme is being rolled out across South East London and other activities include improving care, strengthening staff capability across maternal and neonatal units and supporting mothers to become more involved with their care to improve quality of life of preterm babies and their families.
You can opt to have your baby in a private hospital. Find more information about private maternity units and locate specific private maternity units here.
Private maternity service within an NHS facility
Private rooms
All hospitals in South East London have the option of private rooms for after the birth, and these vary in cost. You can ask your midwife or doctor about this.
For research projects in South East London Local Maternity System, please see the related link section below.
‘Our ambition is for mothers, babies and their families in South East London to experience joined up, high quality care during and after their pregnancy. They should be supported to make choices that are right for them, and where risks or complications mean additional intervention is required the care is safe with a good outcome.
We will work in partnership to ensure women and their families are involved in making decisions about their care, are prepared for a healthy and confident pregnancy, received holistic great quality care and feel supported before and after birth.’
You will meet several midwives throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond. Midwives are the main caregiver when your pregnancy and birth are straight forward. In South East London we are working hard to ensure each woman has a named midwife who is responsible for coordinating your maternity care.
Obstetrician
These are doctors who specialise in caring for women during pregnancy, birth and in the period immediately after birth (whilst in the maternity unit). You may see an obstetrician during pregnancy if you have any issues which require review or more specialised management and they will be involved if you have a caesarean or assisted birth.
Paediatrician/Neonatalogist(baby doctor)
Paediatricians or neonatologists are doctors specialising in the care of newborn babies and children. They will be involved in your care if early (premature) delivery is anticipated or if there are likely to be concerns about the health of your baby during or after the birth.
Sonographer
These are professionals who undertake your ultrasound scans. They are specially trained to undertake scans during pregnancy.
Maternity support worker
You may meet maternity support workers during pregnancy, birth or beyond. They support the maternity team and provide some of your care throughout the journey.
Student midwife
Maternity units in South East London work closely with local universities to support midwives and doctors in training. These students will work alongside their midwife ‘mentor’ and will ask for your consent before providing you with any care.
Health Visitor
Health visitors work in teams. They work closely with the other professionals listed above, including GPs and organisations that support families where you live. Most families in England will be offered several review contacts and additional support depending on the individual needs of your family.The health promoting visit at 28 weeks of pregnancy, is the first time that the health visitor meets parents. A health needs assessment will be agreed, covering physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. The health visitor will also discuss a number of issues, including transition to parenthood, how to enhance the parent-child bonding experience and how parents can help their baby's early development.
Other staff members
You may meet other members of staff or medical students, depending on your pregnancy needs and where you choose to have your care.
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AppointmentsYou should try to get your first booking appointment before ten weeks.Attend Anywhere appointmentsTo ensure women are encouraged to attend all their appointments and consultations during their pregnancy and following birth. The Attend Anywhere system allows women in Lincolnshire to attend appointments by video call when it is difficult or not possible to attend in person. Attend Anywhere covers maternity, perinatal mental health, breastfeeding services and health visiting to ensure that women and their families are being supported wherever possible.To organise an Attend Anywhere video call appointment/s you will need to contact your community midwife and ask her to arrange this for you.
This hospital is part of the North West Anglia NHS Teaching Hospitals and, as such, is outside of the Lincolnshire Maternity and Neonatal System. However, we are aware that if you live nearby you might attend appointments or chose to give birth here, therefore some basic contact information has been included for your convenience.
Our specialist services include
The maternity unit will be able to advice you about the specialist service available here.
