Three hospitals ordeal for woman

Ms Pippin's son Macenzie was stillborn

A mother from Merthyr Tydfil is demanding an inquiry after she was sent to three different hospitals across south Wales over two days after her pregnancy ran into difficulties.

Charlotte Pippin's premature baby boy was eventually delivered stillborn, 38 hours after she was first seen by doctors.

Ms Pippin's ordeal began when her waters broke about 30 weeks into the pregnancy.

Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil

She was taken to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.

The following day, concerned for her and the baby's health, doctors sent her by ambulance to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant where there is a paediatric intensive care unit.

But staff at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital decided that, because they were a doctor short on the wards through sickness, it would be safer to put her in another ambulance and send her on to Singleton Hospital in Swansea.

Six hours later the baby was delivered stillborn after an emergency caesarean operation.

The family is now demanding to know why she was sent to so many hospitals and whether earlier intervention could have saved the baby's life.

'Risk'

A spokesman for Prince Charles Hospital said it did not have the facilities to cope with such a situation and, concerned about both the mother's and baby's health, it decided to send her to Llantrisant where there is a paediatric intensive care unit.

The Royal Glamorgan Hospital said it took the decision to move Ms Pippin after considering the balance of risk.