Peterborough City Hospital launches investigation into baby death

Matt Smith said he and wife Kim felt “let down” after their baby boy died just hours before he was due to be induced at the hospital in Bretton.

Mr Smith (33) is upset that the induced delivery was not due to take place until two days after tests showed Kim (33) had a high acid bile count.

He claimed that a lack of beds was the reason for the delay in the induced labour and he does not believe an alternative hospital - such as Hinchingbrooke - was looked into, despite making repeated requests.

Mr Smith claimed he had also been “categorically told” by several hospital staff that his son would almost certainly be alive now if action had been taken 24 hours earlier.

An investigation is now under way following the stillbirth a fortnight ago. Mr Smith said: “The words at the moment are ‘why us?’ and ‘it should not be like this?’ There’s confusion and we are not sleeping very well. There’s a lot of anger at the moment. We are feeling let down.”

The baby would have been the first child for the couple from Sutton St James. Mr Smith said they were told on the phone two days before the stillbirth that “your baby needs to come today or tomorrow,” before being told soon afterwards by a different person that there was no “additional risk” in waiting 48 hours.

He also claimed that there were disagreements among hospital staff at one point over test results.

Reliving the fateful Friday, Mr Smith said: “Kim was concerned because the baby had not moved. They did a CTG and at that point they realised there was no heartbeat.

“Ten to 15 minutes after being told that, Kim’s waters broke. She gave birth for two-and-a-half hours.

“No words could describe the state we were in, more so my wife.

“Our family came in and had a hold of him and we had photos. We are so glad we had that time with him.”

Mr Smith said he decided to use the city hospital for the birth rather than hospitals closer to his South Holland home which he said ‘did not have as good a reputation’.

He added: “Peterborough is a newer hospital. I’ve been there before and it’s been great. I thought we would be looked after, but I regret that now.”