"I want answers as to why I was not listened to when I persistently told them what my body was doing. I want an apology."
A hospital trust in England told a mother her baby was no longer alive, just hours before the baby actually died. Now, after the mess up, the hospital has issued an apology after the mother alleged negligence and demanded an apology.
Alisha Pegg said the staff at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford "neglected" her and her daughter Grace in February last year when Grace died shortly after she was born prematurely at 22 weeks, according to multiple news reports.
Alisha was in pain when she first visited William Harvey Hospital a day before she gave birth to Grace, PEOPLE said. The staff at the hospital reportedly said the baby was not moving but still had a heartbeat and sent her home where she gave birth.
"In my head I was thinking my daughter is OK, she has a heartbeat. I told them I'm in labor and I felt I needed to push, but the doctor said go home," Pegg told the BBC.
She returned to the hospital by ambulance less than 24 hours later and she was told Grace had died. But barely minutes after receiving the devastating news, she was told the baby was actually alive. Four hours after that Grace died in Pegg's arms.
Hospital Apologizes for Wrongly Saying Baby Was Dead Before She Actually Died in Mom's Arms https://t.co/AQrbiQmUCH
— People (@people) August 11, 2022
The death of baby Grace comes during an inquiry into the maternity services provided at the East Kent Hospitals, which is expected to be published later this year, the Guardian reported. It is taking into consideration about 200 incidents involving mothers and babies and is expected to be damning.
Pegg was heartbroken to lose her beloved daughter. “I feel neglected, they neglected Grace. In all their reviews they say they did try to tube her, but she was showing no signs of life. Yet she survived four hours by herself. I want answers as to why I was not listened to when I persistently told them what my body was doing. I want an apology.”
Chief Medical Officer at The East Kent Hospitals Trust, Rebecca Martin, gave her "heartfelt sympathies" on behalf of the hospital.
"We are truly sorry that we didn't provide the standard of care and support needed. We have changed our practices and policies following Grace’s sad death, including introducing further monitoring for those at risk of preterm labor. We will continue to ensure we provide ongoing support to answer all the family’s questions.”
References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-62489191
Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Portra Images
