Hospital 'sorry' over bed advice

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6373923.stm

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A hospital has apologised to a woman who claimed while she was in labour a nurse told her to look in the Yellow Pages to find a maternity unit.

Gail Jordan, 38, said she phoned Solihull Hospital but was told all the beds were full and to find herself an alternative hospital.

The hospital's head of nursing has apologised for any distress and has said sorry personally to Mrs Jordan.

Her son Alexander was born in Warwick Hospital, 20 miles from home.

Mrs Jordan, from Solihull, rang the local hospital as she had arranged to give birth there, after going to parent classes with husband Dean.

She said staff advised her to go to a hospital in Coventry - but told her she must look up the telephone number herself.

Her husband rang round and found a spare bed at Warwick Hospital where Alexander was born weighing 7lbs 12 oz (3.5kgs).

Fay Baillie, nursing director and head of midwifery at Solihull Hospital, said: "We are very sorry for any distress this has caused. I now have had an opportunity to talk to Mrs Jordan personally and apologise.

"I am grateful that the birth went well and I am pleased that up until the point Mrs Jordan called the maternity unit she was happy with the treatment she had received.

"I am personally looking into the concerns raised and will be meeting with Mrs Jordan once the investigation has been completed."