Shocked mum sent 100 miles to have her baby
A PREGNANT woman was sent nearly 100 miles away to have her baby after being told the city's maternity ward was full.
Sophie Jacobs, 22, was rushed to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital when her waters broke. She was terrified for the health of her baby, which was not due for another six weeks.
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Sophie Jacobs with her son Zachariah
But to her dismay, Miss Jacobs learned the maternity unit at the hospital was already full and she would have to be sent elsewhere.
Staff at the ward gave her a steroid injection to try to develop the baby's lungs and stop the labour. Others frantically phoned to try to find her a bed elsewhere with facilities for a premature baby.
She was devastated when she learned the nearest place was The Royal Gwent, in Newport, South Wales — 96 miles away.
She said: "My pregnancy was all straightforward until the last few weeks, when I started developing signs of pre-eclampsia.
"When I got to the RD&E, they gave me an injection to try to stop labour.
"They didn't know if it was going to work. They had to find somewhere with a bed.
"They tried everywhere from Cornwall up, and said the nearest place they could find was Newport."
She said: "They put me in an ambulance and I was driven up there. Jason, my partner, had to make his own way there.
"It took ages in the ambulance because of the traffic. I didn't want to go up there, but I didn't have a choice.
"I had the second injection in Newport but it didn't stop the labour and I got more severe signs of pre-eclampsia."
As previously revealed in the Echo, the RD&E has closed its maternity unit twice since 2006 because of overcrowding or staffing issues.
Miss Jacobs ended up having a Caesarean section, and Zachariah was born weighing 4lb 6oz.
She added: "I ended up with a very small baby and we had to stay there for 10 days. Because Zachariah was so small and early he needed to be monitored and cared for on the special care baby unit.
"He was also a little jaundiced so had to spend a few days under the UV light. The staff were lovely but it was horrible because it was such a long way from home. I wanted to be home and close to my friends and family. They kept ringing to see if there was room for us in Exeter, but there never was. After being let down so many times about being transferred back, we put our efforts into concentrating on getting discharged and eventually managed to get home."
Miss Jacobs, a secretary, said her partner Jason North, 36, had been able to stay locally while she was in Newport.
Zachariah, who has a 10-year-old half-sister, Olivia, was born in September and, months on, is healthy and well.
A spokeswoman from the RD&E said: "The incident was the only one of its kind in the last three years and the transfer happened despite our very best efforts to provide more local care.
"It was unfortunate that in the four-hour window that the maternity unit was closed, a patient had to be transferred to another hospital but all the decisions were made with patient safety being our priority," she said.
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by LordSmorg
Sunday, April 22 2012, 4:35PM
“I like the way the hospital declares this was the only incident within 3 years, so they don't count my wife having to go to Barnstaple a few months earlier then!”
by Emma, Exeter
Saturday, July 04 2009, 6:55AM
“On Friday the 6th of March 2009 at 5:33pm I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy Benjamin, my perfect angel was born at nearly 19 weeks gestation, weighing just 185g and was a perfectly formed Human with finger nails and blonde hair, He is at peace now in Gods Arms in Heaven yet he is not accepted by UK Law as having any Human Rights, This needs to CHANGE
19/03/2009 This newspaper prints a thankyou from me to the midwives and counsellors who helped me with Benjamin. I wanted to acknowledge the respect, dignity and compassion that they had shown to me and my family and most of all to Benjamin.
A small write up a few pages in, perfect, Except that on the front page of the same issue, a Headline story about a woman complaining that she had to go to Newport, because the hospital didn¿t have enough support to aid her in the birth of her child. I would have gone to Australia if they could of saved him, but she was totally put out, it must have been hard knowing your baby had survived, she doesn¿t know how lucky she is. Bitchy I know, BUT ¿What was the point in printing a thankyou for how good they were, to then be blown out of the water by a story slagging them off?”
by Sally, Exeter
Thursday, March 19 2009, 9:33PM
“I had our son at the RD&E last July when they were extremely busy and struggling for space. I had a rather long labour and the care and support we received during this time was nothing short of A1. They were absolutely fantastic and we could not praise them more. We noticed more of a strain on the staff once we were on the ward and I definitely agree that they need more staff but I was on the ward for 2 days and I was always checked at the change of staff shifts and if I needed anything, I called, and they were with me quickly to help. Considering the shortage of staff, these guys are fantastic and if I had gone into premature labour, I would have been scared to be transferred but rather that than being somewhere where they could not offer me and my baby the care we needed.”
by Jan, Exeter
Thursday, March 19 2009, 8:49PM
“Surely this is old news ? the baby in question hardly looks premature now ? good that he has done so well, but seems to be a long time after the event ?”
by Marie, Wales
Thursday, March 19 2009, 7:30PM
“Yes, it's extremely hard to have to go 100 miles away to have your baby, at an already worrying time. BUT the hospital has to act in the best interests of mother and child.....it's not just a case of maternity beds but for a premature baby, they need to have neonatal intensive care facilities available. Its far safer to transfer mum before the baby is born than it is to be transferring a potentially very poorly, new-born premature baby.
As an ex member of nursing staff at R D & E, I think the people of Exeter should be pleased and proud of what a good hospital they have there. I've worked in several other hospitals and they really aren't a patch on the RD & E. But as someone has already said, the good work doesn't get a mention - it's always the negative stuff.”
by rod gray, dawl;ish warren
Thursday, March 19 2009, 4:25PM
“I feel that the RDE hospital acted in the best interest of the mother and baby.
The local facilities were full, so an alternative had to be and was found.
It would have been nice for the mother to have been near to her family, but needs must, and the outcome was a safe delivery.
Yes, it would be nice if the NHS could supply every patient with immediate treatment, but its resources are limited.
We should all remember that healthcare is still free at the point of delivery.”
by emma, exeter
Thursday, March 19 2009, 4:10PM
“i have had 4 children in exeter, and the treatment i was givin was fantastic, i had alot of problems with one pregnacy and i had a great team. it is a busy hospital, and i think they do a great job, all the staff are helpful.and i have 4 lovley children thanks too the maternity team in exeter.”
by chris, okehampton
Thursday, March 19 2009, 3:39PM
“My wife and i have had two children born in exeter in three years and both time's the service has been very very poor!! The first time they blamed it on the lack of staff and the change over to RD&E site and we were told to write a letter of complent!!! The recent baby was born in March this year and we had the service. They need more midwife's to take the load of the small amount they have they can only do so much... THEY NEED MORE STAFF!!”
by Liam, Exeter
Thursday, March 19 2009, 1:28PM
“If you were running the maternity dept at the hospital, all your beds were full and Sophie Jacobs turned up, what would you have done, Alan? I'm sure the hospital would welcome your insight.”
by K Searle, Exeter
Thursday, March 19 2009, 1:00PM
“Alan, I would suggest that one such incident in 3 years is a fantastic achievement given the tens of thousands of patients who go through the doors each year. But then, we don't hear the good stories do we?”