A Kent hospital trust has apologised to a mother who was wrongly told her baby had died, then that she was alive, before her daughter died hours later. Alisha Pegg, from Ashford, gave birth to Grace at 22 weeks premature after being sent home from William Harvey Hospital despite telling staff she was in labour.
Pegg attended the hospital last February experiencing pains and cramps. Medical staff told her there was no movement but a heartbeat. 'In my head I was thinking my daughter is OK, she has a heartbeat. I told them I'm in labour and I felt I needed to push, but the doctor said go home,' she told the BBC. She returned by ambulance less than 24 hours later and was told Grace had died, only to be told minutes later she was alive. Grace died in her mother's arms four hours later.
Rebecca Martin, chief medical officer at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said: '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 labour.'
The death comes during an inquiry into maternity services at East Kent Hospitals, expected later this year, looking at up to 200 incidents. It follows the Shropshire maternity scandal, where an investigation found over 200 babies could have survived with better care.
