A British couple has stashed the remains of their fetus in their own fridge because it wasn’t cared for properly at a London hospital. The case shines a spotlight on Britain’s overstretched health service.
After a miscarriage in London, a couple have left their dead baby in a plastic box in their own fridge due to a lack of support at the hospital. “It was grotesque,” said the mother, named Laura, who told the BBC and the Guardian newspaper her story of the moment. She and her partner had previously waited for hours in the emergency department of a London hospital waiting to be treated after a miscarriage at home and to be able to deliver the remains of their baby – but to no avail.
The Greenwich and Lewisham Trust of the English Health Service expressed its condolences to the couple, according to reports published on Monday, and announced that it would be working through the events that took place a few months ago. The case highlights the overstretched British health service, which is struggling with long waiting lists for scheduled treatments and surgeries, and underfunding.
Politician announces promises of improvements
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.
Sources: Guardian report, BBC report
