Woman forced to give birth on icy pavement outside Fife hospital
Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Picture: Dan Phillips/TSPL
AN EXPECTANT mother gave birth at the front door of a maternity unit in Fife in sub-zero temperatures.
Lisa McNeil claims she waited six minutes for staff to answer the buzzer at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
Her baby, Jackson, was born on the icy pavement outside the maternity wing in the early hours of Sunday morning. Temperatures in the area were at minus 4C when the mother-to-be went into labour shortly after 12am.
The 25-year-old, from Glenrothes, said the experience was “unbelievable”.
She said: “I was in a lot of pain and bleeding. I don’t remember much because I was screaming in agony for six minutes while we waited for someone to help us.
“I don’t think anyone should be put through the humiliation of having to give birth on a pavement outside a hospital in front of strangers.”
When midwives finally came to the door, Jackson had been born. Nurses cut the umbilical cord and took the new mother - who was released from hospital last night - up to the ward.
An NHS Fife spokeswoman said: “NHS Fife can confirm that when a lady who had phoned ahead rang the buzzer, midwife staff made their way to the front door to admit her. However, labour was so far advanced that delivery took place at the door of the hospital.”
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Weather for Edinburgh
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 8 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Charles Linskaill
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 08:33 PMAbsolutely Dreadful, Sue the Hospital!
A Voice of Reason
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 01:36 PMOh for god sakes get over it! Its always the poor old staff who get the blame. It was after midnight its hardly as surprise that the doors were locked and she had to buzz to get in is it! God these self same people would be moaning if the doors were left open and people just walked in at night! Deliveries do not just happen in 15 min in my experience. Clearly the young woman waited a while to go to hospital. It's is no ones fault not her fault and not the midwives fault. it just happened. For goodness sakes stop this stupid game of everything is someones fault.
Edwards Legend
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 01:06 PMCanât believe how some of the people on this thread automatically blame the mother just because she is rightly annoyed by being treated like this , some NHS Fife apologists here #2Hospitals are in the practice of sending expectant mothers home while in labour to free up room so it a bit unfair to blame the mother We spend billions of pounds on hospitals so you should be entitled to expect to gain entry to a hospital in an emergency #3 timing is critical for births , its probably the only useful thing a father does during labour â keep time -the group would have been painfully aware of how much time they were waiting 4# Iâm sure the mother is grateful to have here child , she probably isnât gratefully for having its life risked its life by lying in an icy puddle just because the hospital staff were not attentive enough to open the door Babies are no respecters of ward opening hours - hospitals should be open 24 hours
Marga
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:44 PMWhat do you bet this is taken up by Johann Lamont at the next FM's Question Time? Especially as Fife is an SNP council.
Trinity Belle
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:00 PMAs a mum - and now a gran - myself, I don't think I would have given a toss about the 'humiliation', I would just have been very happy that I was fine and had a healthy baby. If a hospital has a locked door at night it's not unreasonable to have to wait a few minutes for it to be opened - it really isn't the fault of the hospital that labour was so far advanced. Every labour is different and babies arrive in all sorts of places, this mum should just be glad that it was right outside the doors of the hospital; it could have been very much worse. Ms McNeil should just enjoy her baby and be glad that she has nothing to really complain about, many parents are not as lucky and would give anything to have a happy, healthy baby regardless of where he was born.
geedoch
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 11:41 AMWow, women in labour checks watch for precise time.....
Exiled Leither
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 11:34 AMWhat obviously happened here was the woman left it far to late before going to hospital. Hardly NHS Fife's fault!
Sally Longlegs
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 10:44 AMThis was waiting to happen.Ask the staff. And remember even Jesus was born in a manger. This is a disgrace.
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