Petrified parents forced to unwrap cord from around newbornâ€™s neck

James Kell • Last updated 18 Sep 2008 11:23 0 Comments

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A HUSBAND had to help deliver his baby daughter at the Royal Berkshire Hospital because there were no maternity staff available.

Suzanne Williams and her husband Stephen had been left on their own on a post-natal ward in the hospital's maternity unit and were "absolutely petrified" when baby Jessica was born with the umbilical cord around her neck and no expert carers on hand.

Stephen said: "About 1.30 in the morning the waters broke and I was trying to get Sue comfortable and there was another contraction and I saw the head had crowned, so I ran out to find a midwife.

"But there were only two staff on the desk area and they were bottle feeding newborns, so I screamed at them to get in here and ran back in, and Jess sort of came out then really, and I did what I had to do.

"I picked her up and removed the cord from around her neck because her breathing was sluggish. I started to rub her back and hold her close to me to keep her warm.

"The midwife eventually came in, but it feels like an eternity when you're holding a newborn baby and you can see her colouration isn't good.

"They then took her off me to the resuscitation area by the office, which was quite scary. We didn't know what was happening, we were stuck in limbo. If we'd had a midwife then Sue wouldn't have had to go through such a traumatic experience."

Stephen, deputy manager at a care home, added: "When I tell people I helped deliver Jessica, they say, â€˜Oh so you were at home?' and when I say we were in hospital they think I'm taking the mick."

Speaking at the family home in Thirlmere Avenue, Tilehurst, Suzanne said: "I was absolutely petrified. She came out with the cord wrapped around her neck and there was no-one around to help so we just panicked.

"I didn't know what was happening when they took her away.

"They eventually brought her back about 20 minutes later, but I was left seven-and-a-half hours before they took me to theatre to stitch me up and they had to give me three lots of intravenous antibiotics because I'd been left so long I was at risk of infection."

Last week The Chronicle reported that the Royal College of Midwives had criticised staffing levels in the maternity unit at the Royal Berks for being below the minimum standard, based on Healthcare Commission figures.

Suzanne, a former ward clerk on the hospital's Iffley Ward, where baby Jessica was born, had two other children at the Royal Berks in 2000 and 2004.

She said: "The other two were fairly quick labours and I was home shortly afterwards, but there's obviously a huge issue there with a lack of staff."

Suzanne is currently receiving counselling for post traumatic stress disorder following her experience giving birth to Jessica.

After receiving the Williams' formal complaint, the hospital wrote to Suzanne apologising for the lack of care and any distress caused. It said statements had been taken from staff on duty on August 6 when Jessica was born, and it promised a full investigation.

Hospital spokeswoman Nicola Wesson said: "Despite the adequate staffing on the ward the extremely quick birth meant that Mrs Williams was unaccompanied by staff at the point of delivery.

"A midwife attended immediately when Mr Williams reported that the birth was progressing rapidly. Mrs Williams had been carefully monitored before this and, over a period of hours, there had been little change in her condition. Despite the midwife's prompt response the baby had already arrived.

"We have apologised to Mrs Williams and her husband for the distress this caused. We have also offered a meeting with our chief nurse and head of midwifery to discuss her care."

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 18 Sep 08

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