Mother's frustration as Cambridgeshire 'runs out of maternity beds'

The family of a young mother has described the frantic search for a maternity bed after she was turned away from three hospitals.

Barbara Job, 25, from Peterborough, had to travel 40 miles (64km) to Leicester during labour to access maternity care.

Her mother-in-law, Rica Scott, said attempts to find a suitable hospital in Cambridgeshire failed on Sunday.

The local NHS system said the safety of parents and babies was its "absolute priority".

Mrs Job's birth plan specified Peterborough City Hospital and when her waters broke she rang the unit there.

But she and her husband William were told there were not enough staff to ensure her safety - and that she should seek a bed elsewhere.

Attempts to secure a bed at nearby Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge were met with a similar response, Ms Scott said.

She told the BBC: "They had to face a very long drive for well over an hour with her in incredible pain to get to Leicester hospital where she was admitted".

Ms Scott said her daughter-in-law was having a protracted and difficult birth, and that staff at Leicester Royal Infirmary also wanted her to return to Peterborough.

She added: "She (Barbara) had to - in front of the staff there - phone Peterborough direct and speak to a manager, who said 'whatever you do you do not leave Leicester, you stay where you are. We have no beds'".

In a series of audio messages to her family, and shared with permission, Mrs Job described her frustration and worry about the experience.

In one recording, she told her relatives: "so Peterborough and Hinchingbrooke have not got enough midwives to be able to help us with our birth safely.

"They closed because they don't have enough staff".

Last week, the BBC published figures showing more than half of England's maternity units had received a negative rating for safety, based on the most recently-published Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports.

The East of England NHS region fared poorly in terms of the number of units failing to consistently meet safety standards.

The maternity department at Peterborough City Hospital is currently rated as 'requires improvement' and while the CQC praised staff for their compassion, it noted that the number of staff and their job roles "did not meet expected levels".

Mrs Scott said: "I found it very upsetting because it made me feel very spoiled.

"When I had my children you got so much attention back then, whereas now you're having to fight.

"I hope other mothers don't go through this - and this is why Barbara and William wanted me to speak out."

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System, which represents all of Cambridgeshire's NHS providers, said: "The safety of the parents and babies using our maternity units is an absolute priority.

"Whilst we appreciate the sensitivity of the moment, at times it may be necessary to ask mothers to use alternative maternity units if another unit has reached its current capacity.

"All patients are risk-assessed before they are transferred to an alternative location.

"Anyone with urgent questions about their pregnancy, please contact your local maternity team, who can provide support."

Mrs Job gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Tuesday.

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