Northamptonshire mum describes home birth after Peterborough hospital full

A mother has been describing how she gave birth at home on the sofa after a local maternity unit was too full.

Eilish McKinney was told she would need to travel 35 miles (56km) to Leicester from her home in Nassington, Northamptonshire, as Peterborough City Hospital had no capacity.

She decided against the hour-long journey as there was no time and said: "At that instant I'd never felt so sick in all my life as that sheer panic goes through you."

Her son Percy was delivered safely at home with the help of her partner, and checked over by paramedics who arrived ten minutes later.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust said it was sorry to hear the birth did not go to plan.

Chief nurse Jo Bennis added: "The safety of babies and parents is an absolute priority for us, and occasionally it is sometimes necessary to ask mothers to use alternative maternity units should ours reach capacity.

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