A pregnant woman was sent home from the hospital after a midwife mistook her painful contractions for a urine infection – only for her to give birth hours later.
Philippa Wadsworth was rushed to Medway Maritime hospital convinced she was in labour, but staff dismissed the symptoms as a urine infection, her family says.
However, moments after the 27-year-old arrived home, she started to have regular painful contractions.
Grandmother Nikki Wadsworth, 49, called for an ambulance and Philippa gave birth to baby boy Albie nine weeks early, weighting just 4lb 6oz – just a minute after paramedics arrived at her home in Chatham, Kent.
Medics immediately intubated the newborn who was having breathing difficulties before blue-lighting him with dad Harry in an ambulance back to the same hospital, on December 30.
Nikki and Philippa followed shortly afterwards in a second vehicle. Since then, Albie has been treated at the Oliver Fisher Special Care baby unit, where he is making good progress.
Nikki believes it was the speedy reaction of the ambulance staff and the expert care at the specialist unit based at the Gillingham hospital which saved little Albie’s life.
However, she is critical of the earlier treatment given to Philippa and the unborn child saying staff ‘didn’t take her seriously’.
Parents Harry and Philippa Wadsworth with their second son Albie
Little Albie is making good progress at the special care baby unit
Grandmother Nikki praised paramedics and special care staff for helping save Albie’s life
The mother-of-two said: ‘Pip was obviously in a lot of pain. They monitored her and the baby for an hour and then prescribed her medication for a urine infection.
‘We are all still in shock. We are angry she was sent home from the hospital and we have a lot of questions as to why they didn’t take her seriously in the morning.’
The head of midwifery at Medway NHS Trust has since apologised to the family and said the trust is investigating the matter.
Nikki said her daughter’s previous history of having her first son Luca, now aged two, four weeks early after a rapid delivery was not taken into account.
The mother added: ‘While sitting with her, I started making notes of every time she had pain and for how long.
‘They were coming every three minutes lasting on average 40 seconds to one minute’.
After Philippa’s water broke, Nikki said her second grandson ‘came out like a rocket’ and was immediately placed in the hands of medics.
Harry, who is a postman, accompanied his poorly son in an ambulance to the emergency department
The head of midwifery at Medway NHS Trust has since apologised to the family and said the trust is investigating the matter
She said: ‘He looked limp and floppy and appeared to be going slightly blue.. I feared the worst.’
Harry, who is a postman, accompanied his poorly son in an ambulance to the emergency department.
Nikki said: ‘Philippa needed to clean up and I wanted his dad to be with him in case something happened.
‘Looking back. It’s all a blur. But Albie is fighting back and doing well.’
Alison Herron, director of midwifery at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We are very sorry for the distress that Philippa and her family have experienced during baby Albie’s birth.
‘We are investigating these concerns and will share findings with Philippa and her family, who we are in touch with.’