Call for birth unit in city after car-park delivery

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A mum forced to give birth in a hospital car park in Ashford is calling for maternity services to be restored to Canterbury.

Brianne Hamilton, 34, went into labour on the A28 as husband David navigated the 15-mile journey from their home in the city to the William Harvey’s baby unit.

But the couple did not make it in time, and their second child, Madeleine, was born in the back seat of their Lexus in the car park outside.

Had the Kent and Canterbury Hospital retained its birthing centre, which shut in 2012 despite this newspaper’s campaign to save it, Mrs Hamilton would have given birth in the comfort of a maternity bed.

“I decided that I felt most comfortable giving birth in hospital, and clearly I would terms of the care we received it was very good and everything has gone well since.”

Her husband, 44, said: “When Brianne phoned the hospital, they said we could pull over and wait for paramedics, but I decided we should just get there. It was a case of two people with imperfect medical knowledge trying to make judgements in a state of high anxiety. I decided to make things more interesting by taking a wrong turn when I got to the hospital.”

Mr Hamilton said he did not blame the Ashford unit for sending his wife home the first time. He said: “Obviously, to protect bed space you don’t want people using it unnecessarily, but it is some distance from home to the hospital.”

Helen Bland, the trust’s head of midwifery, said: “On rare occasions deliveries do take place outside of the unit. As soon as the couple arrived, staff were outside ready and we’re delighted that mother and baby are doing well.”

Picture: Gary Browne FM4889711 David and Brianne Hamilton with their son Patrick and baby daughter Madeline, who was born in the car park outside William Harvey Hospital