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A mother had to give birth in a busy hospital lobby after midwives told her to go home.
Najma Abdalla was "in tears" of agony and humiliation as her son, Mohamed, was born in front of 15 strangers at the troubled Queen's Hospital in Romford.
The birth was so public that one woman exclaimed during the labour: "I can see the baby's head!"
It comes just two weeks after hospital chief Averil Dongworth promised improvements at Queen's maternity unit following a Care Quality Commission report warning mothers and babies were at risk of "poor clinical care".
The trust running Queen's is under fire over the quality of its maternity care after the deaths of five women in 18 months, including Sareena Ali, 27, and her unborn baby who died after suffering a ruptured womb.
Complaints against Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust rose by a third over between 2009 and 2010.
Mrs Abdalla, 30, from Ilford, was in agony as she propped herself up in the atrium. Mohamed, her sixth child, fell into the arms of her sister, Fatima Abukar, 22, on Tuesday afternoon.
Mrs Abdalla said: "Everyone was walking past and I was ashamed because they could all see what was a very private moment. The whole situation was very traumatic, I dread to think what would have happened if I had been on my own."
Her sister said: "Najma was speaking in broken sentences because she was in so much pain. I had my arms around her, trying to shield her from everyone. The baby just slipped out, I had no idea what I was doing. It was humiliating for my sister."
Ms Abukar said she cradled Mohamed, who weighed 6lb4oz, while his placenta was still attached and claimed a group of midwives then walked past and took over. The hospital disputes their version, saying midwives had helped with the birth and had tried to give Mrs Abdalla as much privacy as possible.
Mrs Abdalla arrived at the NHS hospital's A&E at about 4am with her husband, Ahmed, 34, and her sister. She was having contractions every 10 minutes but Queen's said she was told to go home at 1.30pm because she was not in "established labour".
After being home for 10 minutes Mrs Abdalla doubled up in pain and returned to the hospital at 2.45pm. Maternity matron Sabah Abdin said: "We carried out a CTG scan which showed that she was not in established labour. Our consultant suggested she might want to go home for a while, and she agreed."
Poor record of Queen's
June 2007 Adele Leger delivered her grandchild after doctors sent her daughter home with "a suspected stomach bug".
August 2007 Catherine Brown gave birth to her premature baby with her grandmother's help when there were no staff to assist. Her baby later died.
October 2008 Expectant mother Leanne Lyons spent the night in her boyfriend's car, after seeing a woman give birth on the hospital floor.
January 2009 First-time mother Stacey Lyttle claimed she was abandoned to give birth alone.
August 2010 Saira Choudhri, first-time mother, sent home by A&E staff and later found blood-soaked and screaming.
December 2010 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital Trust judged to be one of the worst performing in England in a survey.
January 2011 Sareena Ali, above, died of a shortage of oxygen to the brain after staff had failed to spot signs of a ruptured womb.
January 2011 Lili Backhouse, 23 months, died of meningitis hours after she was sent home by a doctor who misdiagnosed it as a vomiting bug.
February 2011 Frances Randall, 21, gave birth on a waiting room chair.
April 2011 Violet Stephens died of pre-eclampsia.
July 2011 Thirty mothers told they could have HIV after blood test fiasco.
Reader views (35)
Extract from the Ilford Recorder: "Queen’s maternity matron Sabah Abdin’s response to the corridor birth
“Mrs Abdulla had been on the maternity unit for more than eight hours and her labour was not progressing.
“We carried out a CTG scan which showed that she was not in established labour.
“Our consultant suggested she might want to go home for a while, and she agreed.
"“Mrs Abdulla told me that when she tried to return to Queen’s when her contractions became stronger, she was stuck in traffic for a considerable time.
“Fortunately she reached the hospital in time for our midwives to help her with the birth.
“We did our best to ensure that she had as much privacy as possible in the circumstances, and screened off the area.
“We have not received a complaint from Mrs Abdulla about the care she received, and I am delighted that she and her baby are doing well.”
A sloghtly different perspective to the story!
Still no comment about the status of the family though.
- BJ, East London, 28/11/2011 10:19
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In the interests of balance how about a reporter from the Standard doing a background check on this story and finding out if this woman has the financial means to support such a large family, does she or her husband work? If not, just how much money does her family attract from the state? Also, keep an eye on the hospital and see if they do make a payout of tax payer’s money.
- Pete, Northumberland/Iraq, 26/11/2011 16:28
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Are there any claims on the way ? - Davey_Buoy, Chertsey, 25/11/2011 12:36 ====== Of course there are.
- Peter, England, 26/11/2011 14:09
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It is a great privelege to be there when the Birth arrives,and a good experience for that person to see the head appearing,they were in a Hospital!, help was imediately at hand !,whatever was the problem ??.
Are there any claims on the way ?.
- Davey_Buoy, Chertsey, 25/11/2011 12:36
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Learn to write English
- Charles, Richmond, 26/11/2011 12:21
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When the NHS came in in 1948, it wasn't unusual for women to have six - or even more - children, but they were born into stable relationships and if you didn't earn, the benefits were means-tested and megre. What this poor woman went through at the hands of this grossly mismanaged hospital defies belief in 21st century UK. Even hospitals 100 years ago had much, much greater standards of patient care than what we see in Romford. I never, ever thought I would live to see the day (and I'm only in my 50's)that I would dread going into hospital, but from the stories I read here and from other substantiated resources, I fear our hospitals. Question: Do we have hospitals, or have hospitals become training grounds for wannabee care managers?
- Gatedweller, The People's Republic of Newham, 25/11/2011 22:38
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people you've ever thought about after.
woman and her baby through what they did.
Some people are really sick.
I WISH that do not. really sorry for the woman.
and all the best furs live
- jain, ilford, 25/11/2011 22:11
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East
Get over it .I have been reading ES for over 35 yesrs and it is great it lists both viewpoints
Some are very concerned that the UK is overpopulated with no money for infrastructure and an out of control birth rate of 800,000 pa etc with many new babies being funded by the tax payer .
Others live in la la land and think there is a magic money tree at the end of the garden to pay for it and cry racist every time immigration in mentioned
- trumpington, london, 25/11/2011 20:39
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I always thought it is only in germany xenophobic and racist people.
Today I realized that even more are in the uk.
I thought the people in uk are tolarant. that's a shame
- jain, ilford, 25/11/2011 18:08
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Strange how you can throw unprovable accusations around and spell 'xenophobic' and 'racist' but can not spell tolerant. Funny old world , isn't it ?
- J B Blackett, Hendon, 25/11/2011 19:02
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I always thought it is only in germany xenophobic and racist people. Today I realized that even more are in the uk. I thought the people in uk are tolarant. that's a shame - jain, ilford, 25/11/2011 18:08
======= I blame all this immigration.
- Dave, England, 25/11/2011 19:02
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How it can be 'racist' to describe the overwhelming of the NHS; the education system; the benefits' system; and every aspect that is free at point of delivery, defeats me. The combined idiocy of the awful Blair-Brown Terror and their ludicrous open door policy has reduced this country to a shambles and practically ungovernable. France has a much better health service but their benefits are not in the same league as ours, so everyone flocks to Britain.
The person from Dundee ought to spend some time here in London. She clearly lives in a parallel universe.
- David Llewelyn Davies, London, a Region of the European Soviet Union, 25/11/2011 18:48
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Today I realized that even more are in the uk.
I thought the people in uk are tolarant. that's a shame
- jain, ilford, 25/11/2011 18:08
Tolerance is a limited faculty.
A person can only tolerate so much.
- Stef, Plumstead, 25/11/2011 18:30
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I always thought it is only in germany xenophobic and racist people.
Today I realized that even more are in the uk.
I thought the people in uk are tolarant. that's a shame
- jain, ilford, 25/11/2011 18:08
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Sharon, you sound like an extremely tolerant and compassionate human being, but just one question: how much "diversity" have you had dumped on you up in Dundee?
"None", you say? ...Thought not!
Also, please keep in mind: down here in London we, the indigenous people, are rapidly becoming a minority - and this article shows why.
- Whitgifter, Croydon, UK, 25/11/2011 15:44
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What has happened to this once great hospital? Years ago you would feel very secure with such professional staff...........today?
- JCL, LONDON, 25/11/2011 15:38
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And yet again a non-abusive, perfectly valid post taking the non-racist standpoint has been blocked by the mods, yet all the racist posts come flooding in. Funny that.
ES used to be a proud London paper. Now it's just a platform for racist cretins. Shame. You have no right to use This Is London as a domain when you only represent the viewpoints of a tiny, petty-minded percentage of London's citizens. One long time reader (30 years) and visitor gone for good.
- East, London, 25/11/2011 14:44
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The amount of racism on here is astonishing.How do you know she doesnt have a job?She could be working and paying tax for you PC brigades to get to work on public transport.Typical British always quick to comment without utilising brain cells.
- Sharon, dundee, 25/11/2011 12:23
The mother is 27, now has six children and babies, so unless she was a child bride, which in the UK is illegal, perhaps your romantic idea about mathematics will explain to the rest of us sceptics how she could have raised five previous children, have a job, and pay more into the social security system than she was getting out. Were that the case, she would have stopped at two.
The country being flooded by multiple mainly immigrant family births does tend to suggest you are a romantic about the facts involved, just try asking any infant school headteacher.
I am glad they are healthy, because we know who will be paying if they are not, we can thank thank Harriet Harman for this lunacy..
- Concerned Observer, Harrow, 25/11/2011 13:58
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I hope this woman bears in mind that it is partly due to overcrowding that the service at this hospital is so very poor.
By having her sixth child (and no doubt there will be more, since she's only 30) she is simply adding to the problem, and for every extra child she bears the problems those children will face in finding decent NHS healthcare, schooling and work will increase.
She (and others like her who have large numbers of children) is harming the futures of hers and other people's children with such excessive breeding.
And before somebody accuses me of racism, this goes for all races.
It's irresponsible and is putting an unsustainable strain on all of our public services and the economy.
These families need to be taught a lesson in self-restraint. Or at least in contraception.
- Jay, Croydon, 25/11/2011 13:55
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Bill ,from north London is right. There very good at complaining these people, they should remember there getting the service at the hospital for free.and before long most of them are back there having more kids. till they get enough to get larger housing more benefits and the whole lot paid for by the long suffering brits, those that work anyway. Perhaps if one looked further than ones nose, one would see why the young don't even try looking for work .What hope have they got when outsiders get everything laid on and because they know long before they arrive on our shores ,how to work the system.
- Hamilton Straker, Ealing West London, 25/11/2011 13:29
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A sixth child? Presumably daddy was too busy working out his next additional benefits bundle and demand for larger accommodation, transport, furniture etc. as well as cash, to protect his wife's humiliation.
Now inform him taxpayers are not paying for more than four, thereby creating a birth control decision for him to be more serious about.
- Concerned Observer, Harrow, 25/11/2011 13:24
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Mother and Baby look lovely in the photo.
If midwives knew this was her 6th child they should also have realised established labour can occur in a much shorter time period as the body is so used to labour. She should not have been sent home, so the hospital is at fault if this was the case.
Thankfully everyone in this story was safe and healthy, but this hospital has a shockingly poor record.
- SMB, London, UK, 25/11/2011 12:59
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Sharon from Dundee - I couldn't agree more. You have taken one look at the women and assumed that she is an immigrant and therefore a drain on resources. If you read the story properly, and look at the number of incidents that have occured at Queens, you should be questioning what is going on with the management and maternity department - not making racist remarks.
I live near this hospital and its where I will have to go when I have my first child in May next year. These stories need to be highlighted in the right way and not turned into a racist slur against the individual.
- ShellBelle, Romford, Essex, 25/11/2011 12:43
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It is a great privelege to be there when the Birth arrives,and a good experience for that person to see the head appearing,they were in a Hospital!, help was imediately at hand !,whatever was the problem ??.
Are there any claims on the way ?.
- Davey_Buoy, Chertsey, 25/11/2011 12:36
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np,suffolk.
'..assuming her children were all born in the UK, has certainly had good value from the NHS'.
What is wrong or 'little englander' with that statement? At several thousand pounds a delivery, she (or any other person with six children) certainly has!
- Jan, London, 25/11/2011 12:34
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I have absolutely no sympathy here. If we had controlled immigration we would have more space within the NHS.
- Bill, Islington in London, 25/11/2011 12:31
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This lady ought to show her disgust by refusing to stay in this country any longer: I'm sure back in her home country the service would be a lot better (har, har!). ...But then she wouldn't be getting piles of cash in child benefit there either, would she?
- Whitgifter, Croydon, UK, 25/11/2011 12:30
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No room at the inn. Remember Jesus and Mary were looking for sanctuary to, although it did not cost the tax payers like today's millions of pounds a year to keep these breeding machines in care to have babies. 2 is enough no wonder there is no jobs for our young people, more population, more automation = less jobs for everyone!
- The prophet of doom, UK Dustbin of Europe, 25/11/2011 12:30
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The amount of racism on here is astonishing.How do you know she doesnt have a job?She could be working and paying tax for you PC brigades to get to work on public transport.Typical British always quick to comment without utilising brain cells.
- Sharon, dundee, 25/11/2011 12:23
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Child birth is stressful at the best of times i suspect never mind what occured to this woman,and all armstrong and jan can talk about is, has her immigration papers been checked or were her other kids born in the uk.more pathetic little englander comments.
- np, suffolk, 25/11/2011 12:12
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Everyone is fit and well. What's the problem? No dobut some lawyer is angling fo a payout. #Leeches
- Uncle Paulie, London UK, 25/11/2011 12:01
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I can't really feel sorry. Ilford via where? Sixth child at my expense? I'm rather glad she didn't get a bed. Perhaps if she goes home she might get a better deal.
- Vomit inducing, London, 25/11/2011 11:59
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cost of one baby approx 20K, so she has cost 120K just in babies. I am not even going to mention the housing benefit she will get with 6 kids.
No sympathy from me, I am afraid.
- Mike, London, 25/11/2011 11:58
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Should be a few thousand Pounds in compo no doubt.
- Brian, Barry Wales, 25/11/2011 11:55
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Max Clifford will be on the case with Cheri Blair chasing a buck on the human rights front.....Back home she would have been left in a mud hut to fend for herself thank your lucky stars your in the UK milking the system.
- avalidopinion, London.Uk, 25/11/2011 11:54
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Did anyone check the immigration status of this person. She is one of hundreds of thousands of women from Africa who pour into Uk and give birth at the taxpayers expense
- armstrong, london, 25/11/2011 11:33
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Her sixth child?
She has a healthy baby boy and, assuming her children were all born in the UK, has certainly had good value from the NHS. I hope she doesn't get any money if she tries to sue.
The NHS was not designed to cope with the workload it now has and cases like this are going to become all the more frequent.
- Jan, London, 25/11/2011 11:29
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