TV midwife cradled my baby, then said she’d slept with the father
A FLY-ON-THE-WALL reality TV star midwife is facing disciplinary action over a complaint that she had a love affair with a man whose partner she cared for during childbirth.
Joanne Lumsden no longer works at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she featured on Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute.
She is understood to have delivered hundreds of babies but failed to declare a conflict of interest in the case of the mother, who asked not to be identified and says she is haunted by the thought of Ms Lumsden cradling her newborn daughter.
Shortly before she discovered she was pregnant, she says her partner went on a “lads’ holiday” to Benidorm, where he met Ms Lumsden.
She said that when he returned he started acting strangely and made excuses to miss scans and appointments related to the pregnancy.
Violated
Last summer, the mother, who already had three children, was admitted to the hospital for a planned caesarian section.
Her partner missed the birth of his first child and she claims this was because he feared his affair with Ms Lumsden would be exposed.
The mother’s allegations are detailed in an official complaint she made to the Women’s Hospital Trust.
In the letter, sent in November, she claims Ms Lumsden cared for her and her newborn daughter, including providing pain relief by inserting a suppository in her.
She said she feels violated and that any happy memories of the birth of her daughter have been tainted.
The day after the birth, when her partner had left the ward, she claims Ms Lumsden revealed she met him in Benidorm, telling how she had rubbed suncream into his back.
A week later, when a community midwife visited her home, the new mother says she broke down in tears and told her what had happened.
She claims Ms Lumsden later called her and revealed the details of the affair, while she was still under the care of the hospital.
This week, in a letter, the Trust apologised for her ordeal and informed her the complaint was upheld.
A Trust spokesperson said: “Whilst we cannot discuss the detail of individual cases due to patient confidentiality, we can confirm that disciplinary proceedings were undertaken by the Trust as a result of two members of staff’s conduct.
“The Trust took this action immediately upon being made aware of the incident and an internal investigation was also conducted.
“The disciplinary process undertaken with the members of staff involved is now being dealt with by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
“The patient made a formal complaint to the Trust and we have been in regular communication with them throughout the complaints process. We would like to apologise upset caused to the patient.”
The Nursing and Midwifery Council declined to comment on whether there was an ongoing investigation into Ms Lumsden or the community midwife.
The mother, who has since split from her partner, said: “As a mum looking forward to the birth of her last baby, I was subjected to the most horrific ordeal any mother-to-be could ever imagine.
“I put my utmost trust and confidence into the hands of a midwife who I thought was a medical professional with mine and my daughter’s best interests at heart.”
She added: “This has amounted to the destruction of a family.
“This will haunt me for as long as I live.”
Ms Lumsden has not responded to requests for comment. for the