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New mother to complain to hospital

A hospital is poised to investigate its treatment of a woman who gave birth hours after she says she was sent home by staff who did not think she was in labour.

Lynn Gillespie, 29, went into Doncaster Royal Infirmary after recognising the signs of labour, but she claims she was sent home after staff reassured her she was not about to give birth.

Hours later her husband Alec, 43, tried to rush her back to hospital from their home in Carcroft, but ended up having to pull into Cusworth police station, where officers helped with the birth.

Baby Harmony Grace – the Gillespies’ third daughter – was born just as paramedics arrived.

Mrs Gillespie now says she intends to complain to the hospital over the way she was checked when she first went in. “The hospital just said it showed how deliveries can be unexpected but I don’t know how they missed that. I was already in labour,” she said.

Doncaster Royal Infirmary said it was sorry that Mrs Gillespie was disappointed with the care she received.

“When she makes a complaint we will carry out a full investigation and let her know what our findings are and what lessons can be learnt for the future,” a spokeswoman said.

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Doncaster Royal Infirmary

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