Brechin mum forced to travel over 100 miles to Ayrshire to give birth
Nada Wilson had to be transferred from Ninewells to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock last year due to a lack of available neonatal beds
A grateful mum has thanked NHS Ayrshire and Arran for “exceptional clinical care” after travel to Crosshouse Hospital on a 100-mile trip to give birth due to a lack of resources on Tayside.
Nada Wilson, who lives in Brechin, had to be transferred from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee last October because of the unavailability of a neo-natal bed.
Nada was transferred after her waters broke at Ninewells
She told the board she wished to express her sincere thanks for the “exceptional clinical care”, birthing experience and emotional support provided by all staff in the Ayrshire Maternity Unit.
Nada, 41, shared her story in her own words in a video story played at the June meeting on Monday and expressed her sincere thanks for the “exceptional clinical care” birthing experience and emotional support provided by all staff in the Ayrshire Maternity Unit.
She said: “I want to share my fantastic birthing experience at the Crosshouse Hospital Maternity Unit. I am from Brechin in Angus and was due to have my waters broken in Ninewells Hospital but I was told there was a space in Kilmarnock and I would be sent there. It was just a matter of the ambulance coming.
“I was in the ambulance blue-lighted the whole way, we arrived there and were met by a couple of different midwives and the greeting we got was lovely and reassured and they did quick obs on me and me and told me to get rest. They would re-assess the situation the next day. Every single midwife explained everything fantastically.
”We got a private room which was fantastic, the domestics were lovely and the doctors who came in explained everything. My midwife was Jan Haggerty.
“Louisa was my fourth baby and I have never had such a wonderful, positive birthing experience. Jan was amazing and guided me through the whole thing. Another midwife was also there who was fantastic.
“I had never been able to have gas and air before and managed to do that this time and also managed to have some other pain relief. Everyone was so professional.
Staff praised for turning 'disastrous situation' into 'wonderful experience'
“When you are so far away from home they turned what was such a disastrous situation into such a wonderful experience.
“My partner was given a bed beside me, for him to be included in things was great.
“I was encouraged to breast feed at my own pace as Louisa was early. We all know how bogged down the NHS is but in that maternity unit nothing felt rushed and they couldn’t have been better.
“They were fantastic and I will be forever grateful they brought my daughter into the world.”
Lesley Bowie, board chair said: “To hear from another board how good our facilities are how welcoming staff are its pounds it from start to finish she has been really well looked after, well done to everyone in maternity service for what they did for that particular patient who came so far away from home.”