A first-time mother was denied a hot meal by an NHS hospital despite being at the bedside of her newborn baby who was fighting for her life because she was not breastfeeding.
Sophie Price, 22, was stunned when staff refused to give her a meal while her daughter Florence, who she had given birth to at the same hospital just five days previously, was being treated on a paediatric ward at Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran, Torfaen.
Ms Price, from Newport, was told that she was no longer classed as a patient at the hospital as she was not breastfeeding, so would not be provided with any meals.
She and her family instead shelled out more than £1,000 on food from the hospital canteen and takeaways as they remained at Florence’s bedside throughout her three-week hospital stay.
‘It was just an awful experience. I just needed a hot meal to keep going for my daughter,’ she told the BBC. She has now launched a campaign against the ‘discriminatory’ policy.
Ms Price and her husband Ryli, 23, had only been at home with Florence for 24 hours following her birth in March when she began struggling to breathe.
She started making ‘harsh grunting sounds’ which her panicked parents described as sounding like ‘a death rattle’.
Rushing to hospital, Ms Price told how she ran into A&E screaming ‘she’s not breathing’, and praised emergency staff whose quick intervention saved Florence’s life.
Sophie Price, 22, was stunned when staff refused to give her a meal while her daughter Florence, who she had given birth to at the same hospital just five days previously, was being treated on a paediatric ward at Grange University Hospital
Ms Price did not leave Florence’s bedside during her three-week stay in hospital
The infant was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, rhinoviruses and a blood infection, with her lungs not able to operate properly on their own.
Florence was admitted and given urgent breathing support with the help of a CPAP machine, and her parents were told she could be put into a coma at any time.
Ms Price remained at her bedside throughout, despite still being in a lot of pain after having to have her hip put back in place after childbirth and bleeding through her clothes.
During the birth, both her hips had dislocated and while Florence was in hospital her feet were so swollen she couldn’t even walk down the corridor.
She said at one point she hadn’t eaten in 28 hours, but when a food trolley was brought round to the ward, staff asked if she was breastfeeding.
Ms Price explained that Florence was on formula, after the youngster was diagnosed with jaundice and did not take to her breastmilk after the first 24 hours.
The hospital worker then informed her she was not eligible to be given any food, which ‘shocked’ Ms Price, who was already feeling ‘disappointed’ she had been unable to breastfeed her daughter.
With Mr Price’s paternity leave coming to an end, his wife was left waiting for relatives to finish work for the day to bring food and supplies while she remained with their daughter around the clock.
Florence was admitted after struggling to breathe and was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, rhinoviruses and a blood infection
Ms Price and her husband Ryli, 23, spent £1,000 on canteen food and takeaways during Florence’s stay in hospital
To make matters worse, Ms Price told how she was informed by staff she would have to bring in formula herself to feed Florence, despite Aneurin Bevan health board saying its policy is to provide this ‘as needed’.
After her mother got in touch with the hospital, it did then start providing formula for Ms Price with which to feed her daughter.
As Florence was being treated on a paediatric rather than maternity ward, hospital policy is only to provide the child with food, unless the mother is breastfeeding, as feeding her is then seen as directly supporting the baby’s nutrition.
But Ms Price says the policy is ‘outdated’ and discriminatory towards mothers using formula who are ‘doing their very best in difficult circumstances’.
She has launched a petition calling for all mothers with babies in hospital care to be provided with meals, regardless of how their children are fed.
Ms Price also praised hospital staff for all the care they gave to Florence.
A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan health board said: ‘We are sorry to hear about Sophie’s experience while staying with her child at The Grange University Hospital.
‘We would like to thank her for taking the time to share her feedback and for her kind comments about the excellent care her baby received from our staff.
‘We understand how difficult and stressful it can be for parents when their child is in hospital.
‘Where parents are unable to access the hospital canteen, have limited support, or are unable to leave their child’s bedside, ward teams can provide a selection of basic food items and refreshments to help meet immediate needs.
‘Parents can also access a discounted hospital meal through a ward voucher scheme and where a family is experiencing financial hardship, support can be discussed with the ward team.
‘Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure help is provided fairly and appropriately, taking account of the family’s circumstances and the needs of the child.’
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