last update: saturday, december 20, 2003. 8:21am (aedt)
hospital denies patient left to watch baby die
a sydney hospital is refuting claims by a patient that she was left alone in a corridor to give birth and then watch her premature baby die.
karen middleton has told a sydney newspaper that she was originally turned away from westmead hospital in the city's south-west after being diagnosed with constipation.
ms middleton claims when she returned to the hospital some weeks later she went into labour 10 minutes after an ultrasound had been completed and staff had assured her no birth was imminent.
she says despite asking for help, she was left to hold her dead child for over an hour.
head of women's and children's health at westmead hospital, associate professor peter illingworth, says the hospital followed the correct procedures.
"this is a tragic case of a woman who gave birth to a baby at stage of her pregnancy before the baby had any chance of survival," he said.
"westmead hospital did nothing wrong in providing her care - she was examined thoroughly by a doctor and a midwife was with her during the birth.
"the midwife decided quite correctly and in consultation with the mother the right thing to do was to leave the baby in the mother's arms."
