'My baby didn't need to be born at monkey park' - Father's plea over maternity services at Stafford's County Hospital
A father whose daughter was born outside Trentham Monkey Forest has called for the return of consultant-led maternity services at County Hospital after his partner could not get to Royal Stoke in time.
Ambulance crews arrived at Lynda Thompson-McNaught's home on Somerset Road, Stafford, at 4.43am after she woke up in agony.
They set off but had to bypass County Hospital on Weston Road around three miles away, because it has only had a maternity-led department since last year and 31-year-old Lynda was classed as a high-risk case. Instead the ambulance headed for Royal Stoke University Hospital around 18 miles away – but didn't get there.
Around 5.30am on Friday August 26 Miss McNaught gave birth to baby Cerys in the ambulance after it pulled in to the forest.
Meanwhile, oblivious to what had happened, father Andy Cliff,had arrived at Royal Stoke having had to drop the couple's other daughter Erica, aged two, at a babysitter first.
While the 30-year-old was overjoyed to see Lynda arrive with his newborn daughter Cerys safely in her arms, he is angered at the fact she was not able to go to County Hospital.
Andy said: "It was a real mixture of emotions. One part of me was just complete relief and I was so thankful to the paramedics Ben and Dan.
"But whereas with my first born I was there, and I felt I was able to be incredibly supportive, this time I wasn't able to be there and that hurts.
"If Lynda was able to go to Stafford she would have made it, and I would have got there in time as well.."
Lynda added: "When we pulled into the monkey forest I just thought 'oh god, oh god', panic just set in that I wasn't going to get to the hospital.
"The services we received at Stafford were amazing when Erica was born."
