Woman forced to give birth on icy pavement outside Fife hospital

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.”