Today's most viewed
| NEWS |  | | | | | | AFC WIMBLEDON | | | CRYSTAL PALACE NEWS | | | | COMPETITIONS | | | | | | ON THIS DAY | | | BIZARRE LONDON | | | |
|
|
|
Mum-to-be endures two-hour trip to neonatal unit
 |
| Double trouble: Ashtrid Turnbull with husband Spencer and twins Hannah and Jessie was twice taken to hospitals miles from her Sutton home Deadlinepix SU20795 |
A pregnant woman and her unborn twins were driven around London for hours because they could not be cared for at St Helier Hospital.
Ashtrid Turnbull needed expert medical care twice - the first time when she was 26 weeks' pregnant and her labour threatened to start, and the second time at 31 weeks into the pregnancy.
The first time she was taken to Homerton Hospital in Hackney - two hours' drive from her Sutton home and the nearest place where an intensive care cot was available.
After a week her pregnancy stabilised and she was allowed to return home.
On the second occasion she was rushed 23 miles to Hillingdon where the babies were born on April 3, more than seven weeks early, and placed in intensive care.
After 10 days Hannah and Jessie were well enough to be transferred to the neonatal unit at Epsom.
Now Spencer and Ashtrid, 34, are demanding that officials from Epsom and St Helier Univeristy Hospitals NHS Trust think again before re-organising and reducing maternity facilities in the area.
Mr Turnbull, from Sydney Road, said: "Patient choice is a complete joke - there is no choice.
"My wife and I wanted our twins to be born at St Helier but twice we were shifted out to other hospitals.
"Saying you can choose where you are going to have your baby is ludicrous - there is no choice. It is complete madness.
| “Saying you can choose where you are going to have your baby is ludicrous – there is no choice. It is complete madness." | | Spencer Turnbill |
|
"Which MP is going to put up their hands and say they are culpable if there are deaths because of the distance people have to travel?
"Maternity is like A&E, you need it close to home and you need enough beds to cope with the pressure."
A spokesman for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said: "On a small number of occasions each year, expectant mothers who present themselves at UK maternity units need to be transferred to other hospitals for more specialist care or due to the neonatal intensive care unit being full.
"In the majority of cases, this will be because there is an increased risk that there may be problems during the birth and the mother and/or baby need more specialist care than can be provided by the hospital they are at.
"When we cannot provide care to the patient we will contact the emergency bed service which will then find a local specialist maternity unit that can treat the mother and her baby.
"Every effort is made to return mother and baby to our unit as soon as both are fit to be transferred. In some cases, however, it may be necessary for the mother to be transferred to a hospital that is not in the immediate area."
9:28am Thursday 15th May 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: insane, in the brain on 10:53am Thu 15 May 08
Oh for goodness sakes!! Is this all people do now, moan?
For a start there was no 'driving around london for two hours'.
An emergency Ambulance would have been booked for her and instructed to 'go on lights' to the receiving hospital. Yes its a shame that her babies were not born closer but for the sake of all of their health and that they were all kept together- how would she have reacted if her babies were born and whisked away by Neonate retrieval to another hospital? I'm sorry but this lady should be thankful that she has two healthy babies, they were born very premature and obviously had the best care given to them.
There is no story here, just more 'whinge and blame'.
Oh for goodness sakes!! Is this all people do now, moan?
For a start there was no 'driving around london for two hours'.
An emergency Ambulance would have been booked for her and instructed to 'go on lights' to the receiving hospital. Yes its a shame that her babies were not born closer but for the sake of all of their health and that they were all kept together- how would she have reacted if her babies were born and whisked away by Neonate retrieval to another hospital? I'm sorry but this lady should be thankful that she has two healthy babies, they were born very premature and obviously had the best care given to them.
There is no story here, just more 'whinge and blame'.
Posted by: Dan, Epsom on 12:00pm Thu 15 May 08
My friends wife had twins early and had a similar experience a few years ago. They were too busy in Epsom, so they ended up in Tunbridge Wells where they had the available facilities. Blue lights all the way. No complaints from my friends or their family - you just do what you have to do. Or moan, get yourself in the paper and hope for some freebies and a bit of sympothy.
You have a pair of healthy babies - just enjoy it you miserable sods. What is it with some people today - never happy. What's the next complaint ? I asked for a water birth but the pool was in use - so should they get another two in just incase. I agree they need to seriously think about shifting resources from Epsom to St Helier and via versa - but in this case - it was just unfortunate they were busy.
My friends wife had twins early and had a similar experience a few years ago. They were too busy in Epsom, so they ended up in Tunbridge Wells where they had the available facilities. Blue lights all the way. No complaints from my friends or their family - you just do what you have to do. Or moan, get yourself in the paper and hope for some freebies and a bit of sympothy.
You have a pair of healthy babies - just enjoy it you miserable sods. What is it with some people today - never happy. What's the next complaint ? I asked for a water birth but the pool was in use - so should they get another two in just incase. I agree they need to seriously think about shifting resources from Epsom to St Helier and via versa - but in this case - it was just unfortunate they were busy.
Posted by: tonyb, Sutton on 1:26pm Thu 15 May 08
Despite the claims that more money is being spent on the Health Service it is not being spent on frontline services.Nobody should have to be driven all over the place to have their babies.Perhaps Insane and Dan got out of bed on the wrong side this morning?
Despite the claims that more money is being spent on the Health Service it is not being spent on frontline services.Nobody should have to be driven all over the place to have their babies.Perhaps Insane and Dan got out of bed on the wrong side this morning?
Posted by: Spencer, Sutton on 1:35pm Thu 15 May 08
We gave our story to support the campaign to keep Epsom Hospital's Maternity and Paediatric services in Epsom as the NHS trust concerned wish to move all these services to St Helier. St Helier cannot cope with it's intake of patients/babies as it is, let alone increasing the burden. In addition there is added danger to mum to be's and babies whilst travelling miles to hospitals outside their cluster. Our babies are doing great, the staff at all the hospitals involved including Epsom have been excellent. Think before you judge, not everyone is after money.
We gave our story to support the campaign to keep Epsom Hospital's Maternity and Paediatric services in Epsom as the NHS trust concerned wish to move all these services to St Helier. St Helier cannot cope with it's intake of patients/babies as it is, let alone increasing the burden. In addition there is added danger to mum to be's and babies whilst travelling miles to hospitals outside their cluster. Our babies are doing great, the staff at all the hospitals involved including Epsom have been excellent. Think before you judge, not everyone is after money.
Posted by: Rae, Carshalton on 1:44pm Thu 15 May 08
I think the people who have commented above have totally missed the point of the article. They are not moaning about their experience they are high lighting the fact that the maternity services are being reduced in our area when they are very overstretched already. Yes it is a two hour journey to Homerton Hospital( so if it is not being driven around London, I don't know what is) which isn't a very nice experience when you are in premature labour. All the hassle of not having services near to home increases the stress of the birthing experience. If the maternity unit closes at Epsom it will mean more demand on the overstretched St. Helier Hospital where the maternity ward experience is pretty awful already, I speak from experience. So get off your high horses the article was giving an experience of what a couple went through in order to have their babies. Thankfully they are healthy and doing well. Someone else may not be so lucky and that is what they want to prevent if at all possible.
I think the people who have commented above have totally missed the point of the article. They are not moaning about their experience they are high lighting the fact that the maternity services are being reduced in our area when they are very overstretched already. Yes it is a two hour journey to Homerton Hospital( so if it is not being driven around London, I don't know what is) which isn't a very nice experience when you are in premature labour. All the hassle of not having services near to home increases the stress of the birthing experience. If the maternity unit closes at Epsom it will mean more demand on the overstretched St. Helier Hospital where the maternity ward experience is pretty awful already, I speak from experience. So get off your high horses the article was giving an experience of what a couple went through in order to have their babies. Thankfully they are healthy and doing well. Someone else may not be so lucky and that is what they want to prevent if at all possible.
Posted by: Ella, Croydon on 3:42pm Thu 15 May 08
How can people be so up their own backsides that they think everyone is out for a freebie - when this couple are only out to prevent others going through what they have and trying to stop the closure of crucial hospitals. Ensuring safety for patients!
So it's obvious they are not moaning they are being proactive and helpful to the community!!!
How can people be so up their own backsides that they think everyone is out for a freebie - when this couple are only out to prevent others going through what they have and trying to stop the closure of crucial hospitals. Ensuring safety for patients!
So it's obvious they are not moaning they are being proactive and helpful to the community!!!
Posted by: nhs staff, st helier on 8:38pm Thu 15 May 08
I think men who comment on this may miss the point, when you're in labour and about to push any delay can cause a decrease in the babies heart rate and oxygen once they are in the canal. Delay of any kind, not being able to go to your nearest hospital to proceed is extremely stressful and can easily cause a woman in the midst of labour to herself raise her blood pressure to dangerous proportions or hyperventilate. Sorry but "insane" and "dan" will never have a clue what it is like, obviously. What if you were bleeding from a stab wound in the heart and you knew time was of the essence, would you consider it moaning if you were taken to any other hospital than your local, then complained about the extra trauma? It's about a lack of NHS funding to local hospitals that needs to be highlighted, this isn't moaning, it's a fact. I've been a NHS nurse for 31 years and I've seen our fund to care dwindle, that's no joke.
I think men who comment on this may miss the point, when you're in labour and about to push any delay can cause a decrease in the babies heart rate and oxygen once they are in the canal. Delay of any kind, not being able to go to your nearest hospital to proceed is extremely stressful and can easily cause a woman in the midst of labour to herself raise her blood pressure to dangerous proportions or hyperventilate. Sorry but "insane" and "dan" will never have a clue what it is like, obviously. What if you were bleeding from a stab wound in the heart and you knew time was of the essence, would you consider it moaning if you were taken to any other hospital than your local, then complained about the extra trauma? It's about a lack of NHS funding to local hospitals that needs to be highlighted, this isn't moaning, it's a fact. I've been a NHS nurse for 31 years and I've seen our fund to care dwindle, that's no joke.
Posted by: New Labour, London on 10:38pm Thu 15 May 08
It is time we realised that the NHS is a limited resource and because of this there will be times when patients have to be transferred to other units were there is availability of beds. Think how this story would have been written if these babies had not been alive because St Helier did not take the appropriate steps when they realised they did not have specialist neonatal cots available. Everyone knows that highly specialist services are limited it is just the government won't admit it.
It is time we realised that the NHS is a limited resource and because of this there will be times when patients have to be transferred to other units were there is availability of beds. Think how this story would have been written if these babies had not been alive because St Helier did not take the appropriate steps when they realised they did not have specialist neonatal cots available. Everyone knows that highly specialist services are limited it is just the government won't admit it.
Posted by: kate, banstead on 11:38am Fri 16 May 08
I think we forget that when the NHS was started in 1948 it was never meant to last, it was created to offer free care to all regardless of wealth. It was only meant to be started to radicate infectious diseases like pneumonia, meningitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and polio which claimed thousands of lives each year.
It saddens me that we cannot in this day and age, where we expect everything for free, praise the great the NHS does. Although I understand that how scary the situation mentioned above was and how you are trying to "support the campaign to keep Epsom Hospital's Maternity and Paediatric services in Epsom", the bigger picture is that if all services are moved to St Helier it is not exactly far and they may then be able to offer better care as the trust will not have two hospitals draining the budget. Which may mean they could extend their NICU. Unfortunatly our local level 3 intensive care unit for babies is St Georges and if they do not have beds you will have to be shipped to another hospital but it is the same for everyone country wide.
I feel that bad publicity for Epsom and St Helier is not needed, they are great country hospitals in their own right, who do not claim to be large hospitals such as the london ones and need our support. We should be thankful that we have an NHS and are not like America where you get an itemised bill, for which you would have been paying for that two hour ambulance journey.
I think we forget that when the NHS was started in 1948 it was never meant to last, it was created to offer free care to all regardless of wealth. It was only meant to be started to radicate infectious diseases like pneumonia, meningitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and polio which claimed thousands of lives each year.
It saddens me that we cannot in this day and age, where we expect everything for free, praise the great the NHS does. Although I understand that how scary the situation mentioned above was and how you are trying to "support the campaign to keep Epsom Hospital's Maternity and Paediatric services in Epsom", the bigger picture is that if all services are moved to St Helier it is not exactly far and they may then be able to offer better care as the trust will not have two hospitals draining the budget. Which may mean they could extend their NICU. Unfortunatly our local level 3 intensive care unit for babies is St Georges and if they do not have beds you will have to be shipped to another hospital but it is the same for everyone country wide.
I feel that bad publicity for Epsom and St Helier is not needed, they are great country hospitals in their own right, who do not claim to be large hospitals such as the london ones and need our support. We should be thankful that we have an NHS and are not like America where you get an itemised bill, for which you would have been paying for that two hour ambulance journey.
Posted by: Alex, Sutton on 12:07am Sun 18 May 08
Surely anyone would be '[italic]moaning[/italic] ' and '[italic]whinging[/italic] ' if you were in that situation. Its a well known fact chldbirth isn't a walk in the park-being put under even more stress such as this is unfair and something has to be done.
Surely anyone would be '
moaning ' and '
whinging ' if you were in that situation. Its a well known fact chldbirth isn't a walk in the park-being put under even more stress such as this is unfair and something has to be done.
Posted by: Christy Barritt, Belmont on 8:00pm Mon 19 May 08
Congratulations Ms Turnbull from all at Overton Grange School x
Congratulations Ms Turnbull from all at Overton Grange School x
Posted by: me...., sutton on 9:39am Wed 21 May 08
my cousin had to be taken to BRIGHTON to have an emergency caesarean because it was the closest hospital with a free incubator, the hospital was great but nobody should have to travel that far more money needs to be spent on the NHS, what about some lottery funding? theyre giving millions to build a place for the olympics arent they? what a waste of money.
my cousin had to be taken to BRIGHTON to have an emergency caesarean because it was the closest hospital with a free incubator, the hospital was great but nobody should have to travel that far more money needs to be spent on the NHS, what about some lottery funding? theyre giving millions to build a place for the olympics arent they? what a waste of money.
Posted by: sam, croydon on 11:34am Sun 25 May 08
Kate, very few people think of the NHS as a free service. When you consider all the taxes and national insurance payments workers make is this free? If somebody takes out an insurance policy when it matured would this be free? Unfortunately where alot of workers have paid into this service too many non workers have not. Also too much of the funding is paying for the suits to juggle figures rather than training and employing midwives etc.
Kate, very few people think of the NHS as a free service. When you consider all the taxes and national insurance payments workers make is this free? If somebody takes out an insurance policy when it matured would this be free? Unfortunately where alot of workers have paid into this service too many non workers have not. Also too much of the funding is paying for the suits to juggle figures rather than training and employing midwives etc.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
