Westmead Private Hospital 12 Mons Road, Westmead, New South Wales 2145

"Birthed here in 2021 and whilst the experience was not bad, it really gave me no incentive to go private again. I was not given a run down of the nursing room (e.g. you must call the number by your bed before heading to the nursing room) and so when I arrived not only was I berated by for just turning up I waited almost an hour for help and by then it had been 4+ hours since my baby's last feed...and all I had wanted was formula. I had also asked about using a nipple shield and was told I'd have to go downstairs to the pharmacy and buy one, despite seeing a cupboard full of them and another midwife handing one to another mother. Again really hard to get support from the lactation midwives at night, who instead of being in the room was actually at the front desk chatting with other staff which explains why the phone went unanswered on several occasions. I helped myself to my expressed milk kept in the fridge etc several times. Personally I think the lactation consultants need better training if they are support breastfeeding because majority can't even identify when a breast pump flange is the wrong size. The hospital itself should be supplying different sizes because it is common knowledge that most women do not have 24mm nipples. I am truthfully a little traumatised by my post birth breastfeeding experience at this hospital. Bathing classes were extremely hard to book into with archaic sign up sheets that mysteriously went missing as well. Hospital seem short staffed at night with alarms constantly going off and long waits before anyone could come see you. Given this was also during the pandemic the high tea I was looking forward to was not offered and instead a poor attempt of two desserts on a plate was provided instead (although I note St George private at least gave mothers the entire 3 tiers to enjoy) I want to emphasise here that this is a private hospital which I paid to stay at so expected much more. I provided feedback on more than one occasion with zero follow up from the team. Really disappointed. On a plus side, the post birth visits which are run by different staff and so much better and far more supportive that I wish they were there to be with me from the beginning. Overall I'd recommend going elsewhere."

"I had a great experience in the birthing unit however the special care nursery really let us down. After a 21 hour labour and traumatic birth the special care staff sent me to my room and said my baby had to remain there and gave him formula without my permission. This negatively impacted my milk supply and when I finally got an appointment with the lactation consultant she was more interested in helping women who had no problem with supply and told me “your baby has had a bottle he’ll probably never breastfeed now”. We also had problems with my baby having breathing issues and turning purple and the special care nursery refused to take him until I threatened to leave and take him to the children’s hospital. We also got told by staff in the special care it was probably just because we were feeding him wrong but she would’ve had her tail between her legs when my baby was transferred to the NICU. Fiona in the special care nursery was beyond amazing and wish we would’ve had her from the beginning. The midwives in the postpartum ward were mostly lovely but a few told me I shouldn’t be using formula when I had no choice considering he was given formula without my consent, wouldn’t latch and I had no milk from the stress. The facilities were also amazing and food was top notch but I think our experience would’ve been a lot better had he not been placed in special care from birth."

"I have been in westmead private hospital today, the staff are all great but a very special mention must go to Laureen at admissions, she is very helpful, and what I found to be really good, she came out from the desk to call the patient then walked them to their chair before going back around to her chair. These small things make a big difference in making the patient feel welcome and at ease, keep it up Laureen you do a fantastic job. Please make her aware of what a good job she is doing"

"I had been a private patient twice last year, paid thousands of dollars out of my own pocket. My surgeon was superb, no complaints there but if I need future surgery, I will go to another hospital that my surgeon operates at and not Westmead Private! I had left behind a genuine apple phone charger. I was not able to retrieve it for many weeks but a nurse on the ward offered to keep it in her locker for me. Two months later, I rang the ward and they said she was on holidays. I waited a few weeks and it turns out that nurse said she left me a message saying she was going on holiday which was not true, and that instead of keeping my property safe in her locker as promised. She put it in communal drawer and not even giving it to her manager to lock away. She tried to tell me they probably threw it away, yeah right! I contacted Executive Office and after many weeks they sent me a pathetic email stating they would not be reimbursing me. It was never about the reimbursement, but the manner I was treated after choosing their hospital twice and paying so much money to go there. If this is how they value business, I’m not interested in ever going there nor recommending anyone else to do so. Nothing wrong with the surgeon or anaesthetist but they go go to other hospitals besides Westmead Private."