Updated on 06/02/2022 10:06 am
- A grotesque case from London casts a bad light on the British healthcare system.
- After a woman suffered a miscarriage, she and her partner wanted to drop off her remains at the hospital and seek medical attention in the emergency room.
- Because they were turned away after hours of waiting, they were forced to store the dead baby in their fridge at home.
Due to a lack of support in the hospital, a couple in London after a miscarriage put the dead baby in a plastic box in his own fridge.
“It was grotesque,” said the mother, named Laura, who told the BBC and the Guardian newspaper her story of the moment.
Couple banned from leaving their baby’s remains at the hospital
She and her partner had previously waited for hours in the emergency room at University Hospital Lewisham in London waiting to be treated after a home miscarriage and to be able to deliver their baby’s remains – but to no avail.
The operator of the hospital, the Greenwich and Lewisham Trust, expressed condolences to the couple, according to reports published on Monday, and announced that they would be working through the events that took place a few months ago.
British health system under criticism – government promises remedy
The case highlights the overstretched British health service, which is struggling with long waiting lists for scheduled treatments and surgeries, and underfunding.
The British Secretary of State for Women’s Health, Maria Caulfield, announced that a task force was working to improve conditions. In addition, 1,200 new midwives should be trained. (dpa/hub)