Women about to give birth forced to drive 100 miles
WOMEN in labour are enduring ‘dangerous’ journeys to hospital after the downgrading of a maternity unit.
Expectant mothers face 100-mile trips in ‘treacherous’ wintry conditions on one of the UK’s most dangerous roads.
It follows restrictions on giving birth at Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
Most women in the area are now sent to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, to deliver their babies. Journeys can take up to four hours through snow.
The Wick maternity unit was downgraded last year after the death of a baby. Now it will only admit the lowest-risk mothers, with four out of five sent to Inverness.
But campaigners say patients are now at greater risk travelling so far to give birth, particularly in the wintry conditions seen in the north of Scotland last week.
Motorists going from Wick to Inverness must drive through Berriedale Braes on the A9, a steep hairpin bend, and the A99, which has seen many accidents.
Laura Sandison, 26, and her partner Eddie Beattie, 28, from Wick, made the journey on Saturday while her contractions were only minutes apart.
Yesterday, Mr Beattie said the experience could have had a tragic outcome.
‘The hospital could not offer an ambulance and we were advised that should we have any difficulties en route to just call 999,’ he said.
‘There are many areas en route to Inverness where there is no cellular connection, which was of obvious concern to us.
‘Due to my partner’s contractions and obvious discomfort she was unable to sit correctly in a seat and wear a seatbelt, which is not only the law but, given the conditions, was highly dangerous to both her and our unborn child.
‘The journey took around three hours as opposed to the normal two. This ludicrous situation had the potential to cost lives. However, we are happy to announce the safe arrival of baby Jack.’
Lisa Scott, from Wick, endured a similar drive for a planned caesarean. The 28-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Cleo on Friday, said: ‘It took four hours going at around 30mph the whole way. It was horrendous. There was no help whatsoever from the hospital in getting us down.’
Nicola Sinclair, of campaign group Caithness Health Action Team, has demanded a rethink.
She said: ‘It’s awful women are having to go through this.
‘This route contains one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the UK. We believe people are being put at greater risk by being transferred.
‘The snow up here has been unbelievable over the past few days and some of the roads have just reopened. What’s worrying is the number of near-misses.’
A spokesman for NHS Highland said: ‘Transport arrangements and contingency plans are the same as are successfully in place over the years and the number of additional transfers will be very small.
‘During the recent bad weather our team in Caithness was in close contact with local police about road closures and patients were clinically assessed before being advised to travel, with up-to-date information on road conditions.’