MUMS have opened up about their experiences of Colchester Hospital’s maternity services after a damning inspection found babies and mothers’ lives were put at risk.

Yesterday the Gazette revealed how the maternity ward had been rated as Requires Improvement by the Care Quality Commission.

Now, mothers from across north Essex have been sharing insights - good and bad - into how they found the Turner Road facility when they gave birth.

Mother-of-three Aimee-Jane Bromfield, 25, of Colchester, recalls a negative experience after the birth of her son, Brodie, who is now one-and-a-half years old.

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She said: “The report does not surprise me because I was completely neglected after giving birth to my son and they even left him without a bed.

“I did not get offered any pain relief or food whilst I was there, so I had to walk down to the shop four hours after giving birth.

“My son was premature and had to be monitored every hour, but they only checked him twice in 12 hours, even with me consistently asking them. It was absolutely terrible.”

Sonia Chowles, 35, of Clacton, also had a concerning time at Colchester Hospital when she gave birth to her second daughter Niamh Bond, but says her return was more positive.

The mother of four girls said: “It was so bad I ended up with severe anxiety to the point where I ended up having a home birth with my third baby.

"With my fourth I didn’t have a choice, but the care I received for those nine days was a million times better.

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"Yes, they were busy and a few times I had to wait a little longer for my medication but the ward staff were brilliant.

"They weren’t perfect, they were tired and understaffed, but you can’t blame the staff for that, that’s management's issue."

Ellen Speller, 37, of Colchester, had her second son on the ward last year.

She said: “I had a C-section and had to sort myself out and was left in a bed covered in blood. It was a nightmare.”

First-time mum, Sophie Willsher, 29, of Colchester, gave birth to daughter Maisie, now four-months-old, in February.

She says her time at Colchester Hospital was a pleasant one.

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“I feel my care was so good considering how quickly my labour changed,” she added.

“I couldn’t fault any of the doctors or midwives that I dealt with during my four days in hospital before and after my little girl was born.”

Nicole Stafford, 34, of St Osyth, has given birth to all three of her children at Colchester Hospital, with her most recent arriving in 2019.

She said: “All of my births at Colchester have been nice. My little boy was taken to the intensive care unit and the staff were amazing - we could not fault them.

“But the trust should sort out the staffing issues because nobody needs a tired and rundown midwife, yet more and more are being stretched to their limits.”

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Since the report was published, the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital, has said it has taken action to improve staffing levels.

Bosses have appointed an expert senior midwife who will soon lead the service and 30 new midwives. are due to join the next few months.

They have also have vowed to address other issues raised by the watchdog.

These included staff not always being compliant with important training, medicines not being stored correctly, gaps in emergency equipment checks and “burnt out and tearful workers feeling unsure about their roles.