Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

He has not commited any crime in the legal sense but to kick a pregnant woman out your cab is bad enough but that fact that she was in labour and so far gone aswell was just disgraceful. Given the fact that you are not a mother and have not gone through this then I wouldnt expect any sympathy for the woman from you but just TRY to imagine what she was going through at the time and how much pain she must have been in and maybe you might actually feel some sympathy towards her. It is disgusting that he has been allowed to treat her this way. He is meant to provide a service and on an occasion like this then surely he shouldnt have thought "oh dear, my taxi's going to get dirty" and should have thought "I should get this poor girl to hospital"

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

What a horrible story. Although the taxi driver hasn't committed a crime in the legal sense he has certainly shown that he has absolutely no humanity. We have several babies who are accidentally delivered in cars in this area, the stains always come off with a good valet.

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

What a nasty man! When i was in labour i was stood on the front waiting for my lift to hospital when one of those guys came who wanted me to change gas and electric suppliers, he was filling in the form and he realised i was in labour he offered to take me to hospital i declined as i was waiting for my lift but i had my first baby an hour later i thought it was really nice of that guy to offer to take me even though he didnt know me from anyone! needless to say he didnt leave until he had his sign up!

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

Sorry to say but this "taxi driver" has committed a crime against humanity in my book. As I read the link I thought that it is a very uncaring chap (other words not allowed) and I think the lady was worried for her 8yo being left if Ambulance had been called while in town, but can I just say the other child would not have been left, may have had to sit in front for a while (due to space for working in) till baby born then with mum and baby to hospital. BGH still take maternity cases so if taxi driver had thought he would have to take her to RBH then he was wrong.

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

That taxi firm should be named and shamed - so that people can have the option of not using them.

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

That's the point, it's NOT a firm, it's a Hackney cab

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

just to say that you are not supposed to call an ambulance if you are labour.. my friend went into labour and we called an ambulance and they asked if any part of the baby was visible.. when we said no they said to either make our own way to the hospital or wait until there was! Apparently Labour is not classed as an emergency.

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

Apparently thats true but when our time came believe me both times it WAS an emergency for me!!!!!!

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

That is more than likely put in place for those that are say only 3 cm dialated and are more than capable of getting themselves to the hospital
This service must of been abused for them to have to say do not use if in labour

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

No, it isn't an emergency, and we do not advocate anyone calling an ambulance for labour unless :- You are pushing or feel like pushing,
you are bleeding heavily (a heavy bleed is one where the blood has hit your feet), you are fitting or if there are any baby body parts hanging out of the vagina eg. feet, legs or umbilical cord.

Labour is a normal end to a pregnancy and not an emergency unless any of the above things are happening. When you get pregnant you have several months to organise transport or save up for a taxi. Even the poorest mums to be get Surestart grants to help with baby, some of this money should be put away for transport.

The number of women who call ambulances and have their husbands/partners following in the car is appalling. Many of these women have false alarms and go home with a flea in their ear. It is a waste of Ambulance crew time and the misuse of these vehicles may cause the death of another person. I think that the women who call ambulances and have rellies following in the car, should be made to pay for their ambulance if they are sent home not in labour.

One or 2 of our crews now actually call the hospital when they arrive at a woman's house now and let us know what is going on. I have advised crews to leave before now after I have spoken to the woman when it has been perfectly clear that she doesn't even need to come to hospital but see her GP......:rolleyes::)

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

The midwives told me to ring an ambulance when i was in labour (not at the beginning obviously) but when i was quite advanced - this was before i went into labour. Luckily i never needed to though

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

OMG ...... that is down right stupid!! I can uderstand this if like you say, they are pushing and need some medical assistance, but if not, why didn' they just get in the car with the partner?? jeeeeeeezzzz :rolleyes:

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

As has been said, Blazey. I don't think he has broken any laws so cannot be reported to police but in my opinion a moral crime has been committed.

I couldn't throw a labouring woman out of my car, could you?

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

This may come as a surprise but not everyone has a car, infact nowadays not every pregnant woman has a partner. Even in the 'good old days' not every pregnant woman had a h/b waiting to whisk her off to hospital

All these rules are ridiculous. We pay National Insurance and it should cover us for journeys like these, end of story. A safe journey for a pregnant woman is far more important than many of the trivial operations carried out by the NHS.

20 plus years ago mothers to be were instructed to call an ambulance at the first signs of labour and I remember the nurse telling me it was better waste an ambulance journey than risk not getting to the hospital on time. Mind you in those days we had labour wards at Accy Vic and Bramley Mead was still open - just.

This all smells of cut backs and accounts defining what is and isnt worth an ambulance

I have no doubt at all that if men got pregnant and gave birth it would all be seen as an emergency.

Re: Mum in labour told to walk home
 

Emergency ? I'd say miracle :)