by chief Reporter Angela Coleacole@thekmgroup.co.uk

A baby was born in an ambulance after her mum was turned away from Maidstone Hospital and sent to Pembury instead.

In what will soon be standard practice for Maidstone mums, Maria Marques was told she would have to go to Pembury Hospital, 16 miles away.

But there was no time for her to get there – and despite diverting to Medway Hospital, which ambulance drivers said would be quicker to get to, she gave birth in the ambulance.

The family’s doctor said it should have been a “risk-free” birth, but little Fabienne had to be kept in a special care baby unit for two weeks and her family now fear she may have long-term health problems.

It has led to renewed claims that closing Maidstone’s full maternity unit and moving it to Pembury will put mums and babies at unnecessary risk.

Mrs Marques, of Willington Street, rang Maidstone Hospital on Thursday, June 24 when her contractions began.

Mrs Marques said: “When they said 'we cannot take you' I thought, 'my God’. I was in pain and I felt so stressed. I was just worried whether everything was going to be OK. I thought 'why do I have to go to Pembury?'”

Her husband, Ricardo, was at work in Stansted. As her contractions were strong and every five minutes and her waters had broken, she first called a friend and then dialled 999.

A paramedic arrived, who then called an ambulance.

Mrs Marques said: “We were going to go to Pembury because that was what Maidstone had told us, but then, because it was coming so quickly, they decided to go to Medway instead as it was nearer.

However, they did not make it to Medway Maritime Hospital and baby Fabienne was born when they were five minutes away.

Mr Marques said: “When I got there they told me she (Fabienne) was very poorly. Intensive care there did everything to help our baby though, and they have done a really good job, although we don’t know yet whether she will have problems in the future. But I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

Fabienne spent two weeks in the special care baby unit before coming home last week.

Mrs Marquees added: “If Maidstone had been open the baby probably wouldn’t have been so stressed. You live near Maidstone Hospital so you think you will go there.”

Mrs Marques’ GP Dr Paul Hobday, who is also chairman of the Maidstone division of the BMA, said: “This was on the face of it a totally risk-free birth, but because Maidstone was full up she was diverted. She would have got to Maidstone OK. This just shows that we need to keep a maternity unit at Maidstone.”

A trust spokesman said: “Mrs Marques was advised by a midwife to go to Pembury as soon as possible. Generally, we advise all women who need to come into hospital urgently to call an ambulance.

“Unfortunately, women can be asked to go to Pembury or Maidstone maternity units, when one or other is full, because our services and staff are split between two sites.

“One of the reasons for change is to give women the certainty of having their baby where they had planned to.”

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said it would have been a clinical decision for the benefit of the patient as to which hospital she was taken.

He added: “We are pleased to hear that mum and baby are doing well and we are proud of the staff who helped deliver Mrs Marques’ baby."