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Anger as mother separated from new babies
NEWBORN twins in West Yorkshire were sent to a hospital in another county for more than 48 hours because of a lack of specialist cots.
Now the family of new mum Keeley Rayner have called for action to stop other parents facing the same anguish.
Ms Rayner, of Leeds, gave birth at lunchtime on Friday, March 7, but did not get to hold her baby girls until late on Sunday night.
The babies were born eight weeks early at St James's Hospital in Leeds, but because of a shortage of neonatal intensive care cots were rushed to Barnsley Hospital in South Yorkshire.
Their 21-year-old mother, who suffered from pre-eclampsia, had to wait two-and-a-half days to be transferred to the same hospital.
Grandmother Christine Raynor said: "I am absolutely appalled that a mother should be separated at all from her babies.
"What a mess the NHS is. It was so frustrating. There was no one who could give us a straight answer."
Ms Rayner's partner Chris Lockwood, 23, added: "I don't think the staff at Leeds were to blame for it, it's the NHS. It's just a nightmare."
Twins Evie and Isla were born weighing 4lb 6oz and 3lb 4oz and were so early that they needed an intensive care cot each. Only one was available in Leeds.
They were ferried 25 miles to Barnsley Hospital but Ms Rayner was too unwell to go with them.
Next day the family were told first there was no bed, and later there was no ambulance to take Keeley.
Mrs Rayner said: "I even offered to pay for a private ambulance to get my daughter to her babies. But then staff claimed it was not possible because it would put her health at risk."
Her daughter finally arrived at Barnsley just before 11pm on the Sunday.
She has now been discharged from Barnsley Hospital and her parents and partner are urging hospital chiefs to improve the system, especially communication with families.
Mrs Rayner added: "If there was a co-ordinator that we could actually speak to, that would be much easier. We were having to stop the staff and the staff didn't know. We didn't need the stress. All we want to do is try to avoid it happening again."
A spokesman for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said when Ms Rayner gave birth, only one neonatal intensive care cot was available at St James's and Leeds General Infirmary was also unable to take the twins.
He said hospitals co-operated closely to ensure cots could be found and added: "Our other priority was Keeley's safety. It was necessary to...ensure she was fit enough to travel with the appropriate support.
"We are sorry that (the family] feel that communications over Keeley's transfer to Barnsley were not ideal."
Last week the Yorkshire Post reported how many maternity units closed temporarily last year because they were full.
Details obtained by the Tories showed that 42 per cent of 103 health trusts providing maternity services closed their doors to women in labour. Almost one in 10 trusts – nine per cent – closed more than 10 times, while one trust reported closing 28 times and another 39 times.
A total of 103 of the 147 NHS trusts that provide maternity services in England gave figures.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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