My baby died because of maternity cot crisis


27 October 2006 09:11

Ashley and Michelle Whitfield-Greener's surviving twin Logan, who is in the neonatal intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. His twin Matty died.

A couple who have already lost one baby twin fear the other may die because they were sent to a specialist maternity unit 60 miles away as the one in Norwich was full.

Michelle Whitfield-Greener, 26, went into labour three months early and had to wait 16 hours to see her consultant at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

She was then told the neonatal intensive care unit was full and she would have to be transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge.

Within minutes of her arrival at Addenbrooke's, the first of her twins, Matty, died and Mrs Whitfield-Greener and her husband Ashley now face an agonising wait to see whether the second twin, Logan, who is in a critical condition with a slim chance of survival, will pull through.

Although the family knew Matty was likely to die because he had a rare brain condition, Alobar Holoprosencephaly, which affects one in 16,000 pregnancies, they believe Logan might not be ill if she had been seen sooner and had been born in Norwich.

But the N&N, which has been trying to claw back a £14.8m budget deficit, said it was satisfied with the care provided.

The couple went to N&N at 4am on Wednesday, October 11, after Mrs Whitfield-Greener's waters broke. However they were not seen by a specialist until 8pm.

Ashley and Michelle Whitfield-Greener, of North Walsham.

Mrs Whitfield-Greener started contractions 45 minutes later and was taken to Addenbrooke's. She gave birth to both twins by caesarean section at 1am on the Thursday, but within 30 minutes Matty had died. Logan then had to be taken to the neonatal intensive care unit with lung disease and a brain haemorrhage.

Mr Whitfield-Greener, 36 of Honeysuckle Close, North Walsham, said: “We were heartbroken. It was nice we were given the opportunity to be with him and hold him whilst he passed away. He looked really happy. He was so small you could fit him on your hand.

“Logan is going to need a lot of care in the future whatever happens. He may have cerebral palsy or a serious lung disease.

“I don't think you can ever prepare for this sort of thing but you make the best of a bad deal. I am angry they sent Michelle to Addenbrooke's.

“If there is not enough room they should open a different ward. It's just wrong that the N&N did not have the capacity to deal with us as it causes delays to your treatment.

“My sister had twins and went into labour at 25 weeks and they administered drugs to her and her labour was delayed by six weeks, both her twins were born and grew up fine without a single problem.

“Michelle and I sat at the N&N for 16 hours but they did not do anything. There's no guarantee the drugs would have worked but doing something maybe would have had a different result, and may have delayed the labour.”

Hayley Gerrard, spokeswoman for the N&N, said: “We would like to say how sorry we are to hear of Michelle and Ashley's sad loss.

“During Michelle's stay at the N&N she was under close supervision of a senior registrar who acted on behalf of his consultant and she received the best of care from the maternity team at all times.

“As her babies were extremely premature and in the event of Michelle's labour progressing further she was transferred to Addenbrooke's as her twins would need access to a neonatal intensive care unit.

“Unfortunately our unit was full on this occasion. This was by far the best and safest option.”

Have you got a story about the N&N? Email health reporter Sarah Hall at sarah.hall2@archant.co.uk or telephone 01603 772426.

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