Baby faces month in hospital waiting for specialist bed
A “HEALTHY” baby with a cleft palate faces spending her first month in hospital as she waits for a bed to become available at a specialist unit.
The parents of newborn Niamh Williams compared their daughter’s first two weeks to “torture”.
Little Niamh was born on October 1 at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny weighing 8lbs 10oz.
But due to her cleft palate she must undergo a series of assessments in Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff before being discharged.
Dad Mark said: “Niamh was born in Nevill Hall with a cleft palate. They said not to panic, it’s nothing major, as there’s an operation she can have at about nine or 12 months old to correct it.
“That was fine but they said she had to go down to Cardiff for assessments [before being discharged].
“Then we found out it’s not as simple as that as we are waiting to go down there. Every day we phone they say there’s no beds.”
Until space becomes available, Niamh must stay in the neonatal unit at Nevil Hall Hospital.
Once admitted to Cardiff, the series of tests could take between two and three weeks before Niamh is sent home.
This means Mark and Steph, who are also parents to four-year-old Archie, face spending more than a month in hospital.
Mark, from Abertillery, said: “We tried to take it on the chin but 15 days later and she’s still there.
“She sticks out like a sore thumb, it’s just awful to watch. My wife is in bits as you can imagine.
“Niamh is perfect, she’s feeding, she’s sleeping, she’s bubbly. It’s clear she’s not meant to be there.
“She’s getting on to 9lbs but she’s stuck in neonatal with babies who are two or three pounds.”
Mark, who was recently promoted as a support work manager, said the delay is now having an impact on the whole family.
But the dad-of-two praised staff at Nevill Hall Hospital for their help.
The 25-year-old said: “We are getting into a routine, I drop my son off at school for the day and get straight to the hospital. We haven’t opened any cards or presents as we feel we shouldn’t until she’s home. It should have been an amazing experience but this is torture.
“We are trying to hide it as best as we could but [Archie] is struggling and it’s difficult to juggle.”
He added: “The staff at Nevill Hall have gone above and beyond, they went to another ward to get a bouncer as she’s still in her cot. We couldn’t ask for more.
“The nurses and midwives can’t believe it, they say it’s the longest anyone has had to wait for a bed.”
A spokeswoman for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “There is currently a high demand on services at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales.
“We always act in the best interests of patients and put them at the centre of everything we do to ensure they receive the most appropriate care for their needs.
“We would encourage Mr and Mrs Williams to contact our concerns team if they wish to discuss this further as we are unable to comment on individual cases.”