A ‘bad dream’ as mum gives birth in layby

Amum forced to give birth in a layby due to the ongoing maternity unit shortages in Elgin has said she was “terrified to the core”.

Alexandra Naylor had originally planned to have her baby at Dr Gray’s Hospital, but during labour she was deemed “high risk” and transferred to Aberdeen Maternity Hospital.

All “high risk” births have been referred to Aberdeen or Inverness since the maternity unit in Elgin was “temporarily” downgraded in 2018 from consultant-led to midwife-led.

Campaigners are fighting to have full services restored and say they are beginning to “lose patience” with the delays.

Mrs Naylor is now one of many mums backing the effort after her own traumatic experience at the side of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.

Sharing her story with campaign group Keep Mum, she said it felt like a “bad dream”.

After complications arose when her waters were broken at Dr Gray’s on December 27, the midwives called for an ambulance to transfer her to Aberdeen.

She was strapped into an ambulance bed and said goodbye to her husband, who followed in a separate car.

They pulled the ambulance over at a layby in Pitcaple near Inverurie after she started needing to push the baby.

Ms Naylor was pushing for 10 minutes before her son Casper arrived 11 hours after the start of her contractions.

To make matters worse, staff at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital did not seem to be expecting them and even suggested taking the mother and baby back to Dr Gray’s.

Eventually it was decided to keep the pair in overnight for monitoring and they were discharged the following day.

Ms Naylor said: “The whole experience has really affected my mental health. It’s a journey that women shouldn’t have to suffer while in labour.

“It is simply not good enough.”

Kirsty Watson, from Keep Mum, said: “We are losing patience with the current set-up re maternity services in Moray.

“NHS Grampian has dug their heels in over the last almost four years and refused to reinstate the consultant maternity service.

“They are ‘getting away’ with failing to provide an essential service to the families of Moray. Dr Gray’s needs to be supported to start returning the service.”

An independent review ordered by the Scottish Government was published in December, which recommended emergency patients be sent to Raigmore in Inverness in the short term as it is closer.

Alasdair Pattinson, general manager at Dr Gray’s, said: “We are truly sorry about this experience and for the way this has left a mum and her family feeling.

“We’re determined to find a sustainable, longterm solution for mum’s-to-be in Moray, and we will continue to work with our partners...to put in place a solution that works for Moray families as soon as possible. In the meantime, Dr Gray’s Maternity Unit continues to provide excellent and safe care.

“Once again, we would like to publicly apologise to the family who had to go through this.”

SHORTAGE: Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin. Picture by Jason Hedges.