When Andrew Canter's wife Rachel went into labour, the couple anticipated a normal, natural delivery. They opted to go to a local birthing centre, safe in the knowledge their nearest general hospital was just seven minutes away.
During labour, midwives detected a problem with the baby's heartbeat. But instead of a short, easy journey to hospital, the couple had to travel for nearly half an hour after being told their local hospital was closed to new admissions. Instead they were taken to a hospital further afield, where baby Jake was stillborn.
Andrew Canter is firm in his belief about what contributed to his son's death. "It was a result of staff shortages and not having units that were fit for purpose, and not having enough resources to keep these units functioning at optimum level," he says.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
