Mum in labour told to walk home
 

Taxi driver threw out mum giving birth - Burnley Express

A taxi driver in Burnley made a woman in labour get out and walk the rest of the way home! The baby's head was out.....how do you walk home in that condition? :confused:

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the things they;ll do to keep there cabs clean;

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All I get when I click on the link is a run time error :confused:

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The server is down

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how did the conservatives and the lib dems get home?

edit:

just heard PB bummed a lift and the lib dems are still waiting for a eco friendly taxi

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Yes, I agree that you wouldn't really want someone giving birth in the back of your cab, very messy but surely it's a bit late once the head's hanging out.

He could have let her stay a few more minutes. Seems cruel to me to expect someone to walk home with a head between their legs.

No smutty double entendres please, Neil. ;):D

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The link works for me, Slinky. :confused:

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oh my god how awful glad the woman and baby are ok

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That is terrible just glad they are both okay.

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It's working now ..... what an evil git!! :mad: It's not like she was drunk and being sick, ya can't bloody help when your baby decides to put in an appearance :(

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Yes, happily driver and car are both doing well.:D

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Oi you that is not what I meant and you know it:p:eek:

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Why would she be wanting to get home anyway, surely hospital would be the place she needed to walk to.

I don't think this is so terrible, she'd have the same problem if it happened on the street wouldn't she. Just have to get someone to ring an ambulance :)

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it wud b very hard for them to trace the driver as it was a hackney not a private. possible maybe.

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What crime has he committed?

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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"

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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.

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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!

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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

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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::)

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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

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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:

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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?

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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.

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Emergency ? I'd say miracle :)

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With Lettie, high up in the world of local maternity, telling us that lives are being put at risk because of the selfishness of some people, I know what my thought are.

Especially, as was pointed out, even the poorest people have the time, and means, to organise transport...unless it is an actual emergency.

I hope none of our nearest and dearest snuff it because an abulance was otherwise employed as a cab.

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Hmmmmm I quoted Lettie..... who was saying about women getting an ambulance while her partner followed her in the car?? So it may come as a suprise that in this case they DID have a car :rolleyes:

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True, not everyone has access to a car but the ones that do should get in them to be driven by husband, boyfriend, mother, father, friend, neighbour to hospital unless there are body parts hanging out of their vagina in which case it is different.

Ambulances should only be used in a severe emergency, as Lettie said. Some women are totally abusing the ambulance service and should be fined for doing so in my opinion.

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On most Saturday nights in Blackburn town centre (and I guess most other towns around the country) you can see ambulances collecting people who are clearly drunk out of their skulls.
As this is a purely self inflicted complaint why should our ambulances be so deployed and yet a pregnant woman has to use a taxi
I really do believe it is time we questioned how we spend public money

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I think you will find that if you need the use of an ambulance due to being out of it on drink you are then billed for the cost.

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That is good. But it would be interesting to know what percentage of these fines actually get paid.

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I wouldn't like to say, only know because a bloke who had collapsed due to drinking far to much to quicly told me he had to pay for the ambulancs that was used.

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I was watching a program the other night. A copper had rung an ambulance for a women who was out of her head on booze.

The ambulance turned up and after looking her over said " we are not prepared to take her!! she is just very drunk, and there is nothing medical we can do for her " ......... And damn right, I couldn't believe the copper was a little taken a back by the paramedic saying he wouldn't take her.:rolleyes:

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I've never seen this happening. Why do people who are drunk need an ambulance? There is nothing medically wrong. They just need to go home and go to bed.

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This incident brings back my memory of the first time I had a knuckle removed from a toe at Accy Vic day surgery.I had a blood soaked bandaged foot and was told to 'hop it' - no ambulance provided

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...and being pregnant isn't?

Well, unless you have an immaculate conception.

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Rindy!! don't be so Naive ...... what happens if the poor women had slipped and fell onto it ??? :D

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They just did right, maybe she would have been better in the cells for the night. But then again the copper probably didn't want to do the paperwork;)

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I saw the same programme.

Amazing what you find out in the wee small hours, thanks to Steve Scott.:D

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That's the one :D I love that program .... It reminds me how many numpties there really are living in this world lol

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I think everyone should have a right to an ambulance regardless of the way it is inflicted. If it is deemed unnecessary then fair enough fine them, but I don't think anyone should be refused an ambulance for self inflicted reasons. What if your loved one is depressed and attempts suicide? THAT is self inflicted but nobody in their right mind would say they don't deserve an ambulance.

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Perhaps we could each have an ambulance on stand-by, in case we cut our finger on a tin can say, and need to get to Casualty in a hurry, to have a plaster stuck on it.

Wouldn't really be very economic though.

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Read my post again, I said if it is deemed unnecessary then fair enough fine them.

Anyone have any idea what the current fine is for using the ambulance service when you don't need it? Bet it's more than a taxi.

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I know if an ambulance gets called to the Ice arena for an injury, then the person gets charged.

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I remember the good old days of Friday/Saturday nights in A&E, with the Ambulance crews bringing in drunks who see Ambulances as free taxis. These so-called patients used to receive very special treatment in A&E.:):rolleyes: It's a pity that the days of special treatments are gone, unfortunately though, the Ambulances are still abused by these people.

It's funny but I have a mate who works in Brisbane. Pregnant women make their own way to hospital there unless it is an emergency. Some of them live 200 miles away, as many large hospitals are regional rather than local (a bit like what our government is trying to do to us):(.

As said earlier, women have several months to prepare for labour, whether they are with a partner or not. They are given money towards the cost of having their baby with the Surestart Grant. They have no excuse for misusing Ambulance services when they receive this money which will more than adequately cover the cost of transport.

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I rang my auntie when i was in labour and asked her to take me to the hospital cos it happened to be the night my mum went out for a drink (it was her birthday) she beeped her horn outside and took me to asda and made me push her trolley around while she did her shopping then told me i wasnt far enough gone and took me home!!!

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I went into hospital just after New Year. I had been ill for 3 weeks and the GP, on his 2nd visit, suspected pneumonia, which was correct (and it also turned out I had a bit of heart trouble). He simply told my daughter to get me to hospital by car a.s.a.p and I had to get up out of bed, get dressed and go. By the time I had staggered into A & E I was almost collapsing and had to be put on a trolley and given oxygen. At no time was an ambulance suggested and I did wonder, when I was beginning to recover, just how ill you have to be to qualify. :(

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Nhs direct do suggest that you try to get a lift to hospital but to call an ambulance if you cant.

I have an ex that was always saying he was really ill when there was nothing wrong with him... once he started complaining about stomach pains and i didnt believe him, he told me to ring an ambulance and i said i wasnt wasting their time on him and said that if he wanted to go to hospital he could call a taxi but i werent paying for it or going with him........ a few hours later i got a call from the hospital telling me he was going into theatre and that he had perforated his bowel and could have died!


In my defence.... i am a peadiatric first aider and a child would have got an ambulance :D

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How is that a defense :p I hope he learned his lesson. Someone should've read him the story of the boy who cried wolf when he was a child.

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yeah, its a pants defence....... i am a peadiatric first aider and a regular first aider.

But id rung ambulances for him before for nothing and i werent gunna do it again.

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What this fellow did was a disgrace, and some of the opinions here are not much better, a woman having a baby for the first time (and I know this woman wasnt a first timer), should be entitled if in any doubt to ring for an ambulance, information is the key, I have witnessed several labours, but was only informed fairly recently that the childbearer should be having contractions no more than 17 minutes apart, prior to this info, I had no idea that there were ideal times to wait to, my current partner had a baby within 33 minutes of first having any pain, if I had put her in the car and crashed the car trying to get to hospital quickly, how many people could be put in danger? Drunken people should be allowed to call an ambulance also, or the police call it for them, if somebody is incapable of looking after themselves, then care should be forthcoming, especially in these days of drugs, spiked drinks etc, if an ambulance is called without due cause, then a bill should be issued, if there may be an issue with false calls putting somebody in danger, then as usual these days for the health service it means cutbacks have left not enough ambulances/staff on standby to cover demand.

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What is the difference between a Paediatric first aider and a Regular first aider?

'Magic cream'?

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paediatric first aiders are taught to recognise child hood illness' and things that are typical to children such as febrile convulsions.

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I don't feel we are fed enough information Derek as to just when we need an ambulance. Logically, when a condition is life-threatening; but not everybody understands this, and think it is their right to 'phone for minor things. Lots of people don't 'phone either when they should have.

Think it would be a good idea to have a little campaign to educate us. It shows on this thread that none of us are too sure of the whys and wherefores.

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You should ring NHS direct if you aren't sure whether it is ambulance worthy. Saying that, I rang them when I had tonsilitis (before it was diagnosed) as I couldn't swallow and obviously felt very unwell. She just said drink if I can and it'll just go away. Glad it wasn't something more serious

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Tonsilitus does not just go away Blazey .. usually need penicillen to help. Can be very serious. Not good advice on her part methinks.

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Just told spug about this - he says up there a woman went into labour on the bus and the driver took a detour with the bus half full of passengers and took her to hospital with all the passengers on.

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She didn't suggest tonsilitis at all which I thought was bad considering I had all the obvious symptoms.

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I assume he asked every single passengers permission beforehand otherwise they'd all be open to sue him and the company for breach of contract. So if the taxi driver had been on that bus that lady might now have got there either ;)

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17 minutes apart!!!!!!! Contractions 17 minutes apart may produce a baby in about 3 days with most first time mums, maybe 2 days with a 2nd or 3rd time mum..:D The optimum time to come to hospital is when the contractions are 3-4 minutes apart with a first labour or 4-5 minutes apart with a 2nd or 3rd (or more). Each contraction needs to last longer than 40 seconds to be effective.

Some unfortunate women have precipitate labours (where they labour very quickly, less than 1 hour from start to finish) These labours are rare but it is usually apparrent to the woman what is going on and she will know that she needs to be at the hospital asap...:)

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Think it would be a good idea to have a little campaign to educate us. It shows on this thread that none of us are too sure of the whys and wherefores.[/quote]

As usual kate, your post makes good logical sense.

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Probably me lettie, being a mere man, I will have gotten the times wrong, but it was 4 years ago. lol

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I assume she'd specify on the phone and get a response there and then. That way she can just ring around another firm.

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Reading some of these posts makes me glad my kids were born during the days when Rough Lee and Bramley Meade were still open. Contraction/labor started the husband ran down to the phone box on the corner called for an ambulance , they came , took the wife away ( also the husband if it was the first one, the staff/midwives told him to ****** off and phone back later ) . None of this modern stuff about how far the pains are apart , :D

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The story irritates me as the comments are all assuming the taxi driver was a muslim man and questioning whether he'd have kicked her out if she was 'one of theirs'.

I think it can't have been such a terrible situation for her to ask the driver to take her home rather than the hospital. If she HADN'T got a cab in the first place then the baby would still have made an appearance whilst she was walking home, so she'd have still been in the same situation.

Yes it may be 'mean' and 'cruel' for a taxi driver to ask her to get out of the taxi, but I imagine they'd have still complained about paying the soiling fee if she'd have carried on, saying that was heartless and inappropriate etc etc.

Baby is well and good, driver has just been a bit inhumane, but that's life. Nothing would come out of him stepping forward into the public eye so is there really any point?

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What about people with pets or wanting to take a certain amount of luggage somewhere? You ask in advance if it is alright. Even people are questioning the legality of taxi's without car seats for children now, so yes, I think it is quite understandable that people would think to ask if it is ok.

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Where is a muslim taxi driver mentioned?

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In the comments on the article.

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I can only see one comment that mentions Muslim. The person who wrote it is saying that they are wondering if he was Muslim and if so would he have turfed a Muslim lady out onto the street.

No-one assumed he was Muslim.:confused:

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Just read the comments and people are just asking, is there anything wrong with that?

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Those comments have quite rightly been removed now.

That's the trouble with people being able to spout off willy-nilly, without having full knowledge of the facts.

Happily on Accy Web we are self policing, ably assisted by the mods, on spotting people intent on posting inflammatory rubbish, just to boost their own petty egos.

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There is no mention that THAT taxi driver was asian!!

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Do you think the taxi driver might just have panicked .. not knowing what to do, etc. ?

Perhaps may be an opportunity to enforce a first aid course on them ... after all do carry passengers in lots of unusual circumstances sometimes. Although, think they should be paid a fee/recognition for holding this qualification.

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Your havin a laugh right?? people whine about how much they charge now!! let alone saying " Oh prices are going up now cos we are first aid trained " anyway, I am an appointed first aider, but no where in my course did it teach me how to deliver a baby safely, this taxi driver would possibly not have even had to deliver the baby anyway, he could have quite simply delivered her into the good care of the local hospital, instead of just leaving this poor women.

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Ok Slinky, understand what you saying seeing as you are personally involved with this profession, was just a thought. Could get to this stage though due to the dangers that taxi drivers face more day to day.

Just trying to look at it from his point of view .. and the possibility that he may have just been a little freaked out by it all. The fact that he dropped her at the top of her road rather than miles away smacked a little of utter fear.

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I would like to think it was fear that drove him to do this too!!!

I wonder if he had any kids of his own?? I suppose a taxi driver who had watched his wife go through labour, would have been more than willing to do what he could for the poor women. I know ginger would have done, as I asked him about this case.

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Yes, I am sure Ginger would have .... unfortunately I have this habit of looking at all sides of a story. Another few yards would not have made much difference to this driver, that is what is so peculiar here.

I always understood that a taxi driver wasn't too keen to take a woman in labour to the hospital ... is this correct ?

I can understand any taxi driver refusing to take an injured person to hospital ... huge responsibility. Only had one occasion when I fell down a friend's stairs .. bleeding profusely from a head wound ... assured taxi driver had lots of towels to soak up the blood (so as not to soil his car) and was accompanied, and wound was just superficial. Gave him a huge tip bless him.

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Kate, I'm sure quite a lot of Taxi drivers would have been glad to help. It's the nasty minority that give them the bad name.

I remember once, ginger had taken a elderly gentleman home from the local working mens club. The elderly gentleman slipped on his path to the house. Ginger helped him up, offered to take him to the hospital, but the man refused and said he would be ok. Ginger got him in the house so he knew he was safe, and offered to ring a relative.

Some Taxi drivers know its part of the job that things like this happen, and are willing to take the rough with the smooth. Other's ...?? well ... not so willing I'm afraid. But at the end of the day, it's also good job satisfaction when you know you have made a difference to someone in their hour of need.

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The comments were removed.

Also, no I haven't given birth myself, but I have witnessed my mum give birth to my brother so I am more than aware of what labour entails, I am not completely naive to the process of birth.

I just don't see what the fuss is, she MAY have intended on a home birth, but even so, if she was so distressed in that situation, and I presume she didnt on giving birth PREMATURELY at home, she would've gone to the hospital. What on earth made her want to go home instead of the hospital?

I just feel that there are probably exaggerations in this news story.

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The thing with premature deliveries is that they can be very quick and unexpected. This lady has had a child before so may well have been quick. We advise ladies with severe abdominal pain, especially before 37 weeks to ring the hospital. By speaking to the woman, the midwife can usually judge if an ambulance is needed. The hospital will always ask to speak to the woman rather than her mother or partner (who tend to panic). In normal circumstances, they will keep the woman on the phone until she has a pain and listen to her reaction during that pain. If she can still speak through it, then it is too soon to come in. However, if she is less than 37 weeks, she will be asked to come in regardless.
Bear in mind that the hospital can only advise those women who phone and cannot advise those who just turn up (many false alarms do this and end up being sent home again, not in labour). All women are given the telephone number from the very beginning of pregnancy and all women are given advice about the signs of labour.

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what the lady was moaning about was the fact that he told her to get out of his taxi at the top of her street & that she had to walk the rest of the way home.

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if that was me, id had told him to ****** off!!
that or caused a stink, do men not realise women can become satan while in labour:pAttachment 11418

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When I went to the hospital with my ex wife who was expecting our first child, the hospital monitored her for at least a couple of hours, and then told me I should go home, because she would sleep and I would be wasting my time, as it was 5.30am, there were no buses and I had no transport, I arrived home (ramsbottom) at just after 7am, rang the hospital, only to be told that I had a son! I was devastated at missing the birth, a similar thing happened with one of my grandchildren, so I dont accept that the hospital/midwifes can accurately diagnose/time delivery eta over the phone, and still say that hospitals should have a duty of care to allow expectant mothers and others who think they may have an emergency to go/send an ambulance, rather than persist with cutbacks which, if truth were known, are, or will let people die.

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they dont need labour fer that.:rofl38::rofl38:

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Exactly. They are our ambulances after all, we pay for them why should we not determine when we use them?Please dont anyone say, 'the experts know best and they are highly trained because 9 time out of 10 it is the woman who is giving birth who is the expert.