The figures about safety are likely little comfort to expectant mothers when they go into an NHS hospital and see the sheer prevalence of avoidable mistakes, la

The figures about safety are likely little comfort to expectant mothers when they go into an NHS hospital and see the sheer prevalence of avoidable mistakes, large and small. This isn't just a maternity ward issue, although the effects of poor attention and mistakes are particularly dangerous there, it's a risk across all NHS hospitals. It's sad as the hospitals do so much to a high standard but they surround their core processes with a low quality support that quickly undermines the good work. From my many experiences over the last few years visiting friends/relatives in hospital, a huge number of tasks are messed up by overstretched low level staff. Just one recent example, a lady in the bed next to a relative had been admitted with a serious infection, purely for an IV drip for antibiotics as she couldn't keep the tablet form down - she was sent by her GP and this should have been routine but due to hospital communication mix-ups they wouldn't give it and she deteriorated over five days whilst they did nothing but a few basic tests, all the time in discomfort for something that could've been resolved easily. Underfunding is the cause but the cure will need not just money but a return to rigour, attention to detail and a focus on communication.