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| Baby ward shortages 'scandalous' | Baby ward shortages 'scandalous' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A coroner has branded midwife shortages at a hospital where a newborn baby died on an overstretched maternity ward as "nothing short of scandalous". | A coroner has branded midwife shortages at a hospital where a newborn baby died on an overstretched maternity ward as "nothing short of scandalous". |
| Deputy coroner for Milton Keynes Thomas Osborne said "systems failures" led to the death of Ebony McCall. | Deputy coroner for Milton Keynes Thomas Osborne said "systems failures" led to the death of Ebony McCall. |
| An inquest heard the baby girl only had a faint heartbeat when she was born by Caesarean section at Milton Keynes General Hospital in May this year. | An inquest heard the baby girl only had a faint heartbeat when she was born by Caesarean section at Milton Keynes General Hospital in May this year. |
| Her mother, Amanda McCall, had medical conditions including cardiac disease. | Her mother, Amanda McCall, had medical conditions including cardiac disease. |
| A hospital spokesman said: "We are very sorry indeed for the distress and grief caused to them by the death of their daughter Ebony." | A hospital spokesman said: "We are very sorry indeed for the distress and grief caused to them by the death of their daughter Ebony." |
| He said: "Changes have already been made to the way we work to improve the safety of our maternity services." | He said: "Changes have already been made to the way we work to improve the safety of our maternity services." |
| Miss McCall, who has only one kidney, was admitted to hospital on 8 May with stomach pains. | Miss McCall, who has only one kidney, was admitted to hospital on 8 May with stomach pains. |
| Bed shortages | |
| She went into labour that night but the baby's heartbeat became erratic, necessitating the emergency Caesarean section. | She went into labour that night but the baby's heartbeat became erratic, necessitating the emergency Caesarean section. |
| Ebony was born at 0321 GMT on 9 May and died 14 minutes later. | Ebony was born at 0321 GMT on 9 May and died 14 minutes later. |
| The three-day inquest was told that staff and bed shortages at the hospital had brought criticism before and now the case had been referred to the Secretary of State for further investigation. | |
| Speaking after the inquest, Amanda's father Terry McCall said: "The family and I are very relieved that the coroner has referred it back to the Secretary of State. | |
| "Hopefully it will make things safer for other women giving birth in Milton Keynes. | |
| "There seems to be no reason that Ebony died. | |
| "She was born at full term and she was a healthy 7lbs 4oz and, even thought she had a slight infection, had the problems been picked up it's likely she would have been with us now, celebrating her first Christmas." | |
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| Milton Keynes NHS Foundation Trust's Tony Halton: "We are very sorry indeed" | Milton Keynes NHS Foundation Trust's Tony Halton: "We are very sorry indeed" |