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Moray mum speaks out after emergency hospital dash


By Louise Shaw

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A Moray woman has raised concerns over maternity services after having to be rushed to Aberdeen to have her baby.

Kristina McLennan (26) is encouraging expectant Moray mothers to speak up if they feel something is wrong after she was told her problems were the "perks of pregnancy."

Mrs McLennan was then blue-lighted to Aberdeen in an ambulance at risk of seizures and organ failure.

The mum-of-two said all was going well with her pregnancy until fluid levels became high at her 28-week scan.

She said: "I was told my consultant would speak to me about it but he never actually did, I had to bring it up but was told that it can just be normal and that I had had a glucose test.

"At the following scan it was exactly the same but the fluid levels had risen, and I was told it could just be the perks of pregnancy.

"I didn't feel unwell but I was in a lot of pain and I could barely walk. I ended up giving up work early because I couldn't walk and I explained this."

After being sent home from the hospital again, Mrs McLennan met her midwife a few days later and with high blood pressure and more protein in her urine the midwife sent her straight back to Dr Gray's before she was told she would need transferred to Aberdeen.

Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin.
Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin.

"It was extremely scary," she said. "I was on my own, I told my husband not to come up because I expected just to be sent home again but then I was told I was at risk of seizures and organ failure. I just broke down thinking that the worst was going to happen.

"I'm not a first time mum and I knew something wasn't right. This has been an extremely hard and scary time for us all and for most of it I was on my own due to being so far away, and my husband needing to be home for our other daughter."

After being born baby Sophie was placed in intensive care as she was jaundice.

Mrs McLennan is now back at home with husband William, baby Sophie and their 2-year-old daughter Ruby.

She said: "I feel that all of what happened could have been avoided if my consultant just listened to me.

"I want to say to all expecting mothers in and around Elgin, if you are not happy please say something. This could have ended a lot worse for us to the to the point my husband and two-year-old could have lost a wife and a mum if it wasn't for my midwife."

A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: "A senior midwifery manager made contact with this patient to discuss her experience directly."

NHS Grampian is expected to submit a plan to the Scottish Government in early April detailing how they plan to restore the services at Dr Gray's.

Since the turn of the year, 25 babies were born in Moray in January which was 41.67 per cent of births, with 32.81 per cent of births (21) taking place at Dr Gray's in February.


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