3:30pm Thursday 21st January 2010
By Simon Farr
A WORRIED dad-to-be says he will move his wife into an hotel near Stoke Mandeville Hospital because he fears she might be forced to give birth in the back of an ambulance.
Ben Gill, 36, and wife Lisa, 33, are expecting their third child in April but say they are “scared and stressed” at the thought of battling through the rush hour traffic to Aylesbury.
Doctor-led births and inpatient children services were moved from Wycombe Hospital to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in October.
The Penn couple's two-year-old Eleanor was delivered at Wycombe Hospital within 90mins of Mrs Gill going into labour.
Mr Gill says if the same happens again there is “no chance” they will get to hospital in time.
He said: “Our GP said if she goes to High Wycombe and needs an emergency c-section, she would be put in an ambulance - but she wouldn't get to Stoke Mandeville in time.
“And if we go for a home birth and it is out of hours, the midwife comes from Aylesbury.
“So we're going to move into a hotel a month before – we're fortunate we can afford to do that but many people can't – it's a shocking situation.”
Mr Gill has now launched a Facebook campaign to canvas support from south Bucks residents against the transfer of key services to Aylesbury.
More than 2,500 people have joined the Fight to Re-Open the Maternity Unit at Wycombe Hospital group and Mr Gill says he will launch a formal campaign group if the Facebook page exceeds 4,000 members.
Click on the link below to view the Facebook group.
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