JENNIFER KAY from Settrington says her experience of giving birth to her daughter Aurelia-Denys at Scarborough Hospital was so traumatic and unsatisfactory that she checked herself out against medical advice.

Jennifer was 13 days overdue when she was checked into the hospital to be induced. Unfortunately, her contractions didn't start very strong, and the next day she needed to be induced again. However, she was told that they were too busy to do it that day, so she would have to wait another day.

"I was already having contractions, and it meant I didn't sleep for three days," she said.

"They should have done it straight away but it felt like I was on a cattle line and there were too many cows."

"The whole time they were very short staffed, especially when I went into labour," she said.

By the next day, the medics had decided that Jennifer should have an emergency cesarean.

"I still feel that if I'd been given more time it would have been better but it was like they had a deadline and they wanted me dealt with."

But she said it was with the aftercare that the service really fell down.

"After the birth, we had an hour together before my partner was sent home, and that was upsetting for both of us," she said.

"Then I was having difficulty breast feeding and got no help or advice. I was in a lot of pain after the operation and my morphine was wearing off, and my husband went and asked for some more.

"The doctor was asked and he said to give me it, but then the midwife said she wanted to wean me off it."

She was also left holding her baby, after trying to breastfeed, unable to lift her off because of her operation. No-one came to help for three hours.

Jennifer added: "When I eventually decided to check myself out because I thought I would get more care at home, the midwife came and said it was against medical advice. I said I would get more care at home and she said she was sorry but they were understaffed."

Jennifer is now dreading ever having to use the maternity ward there again, and wishes that Malton had a fully-functioning maternity unit.

"It's that community feeling, and the feeling that they have time for you," she said. "I've spoken to people who used to work there and remember a lovely busy ward full of babies and bouquets. It's such a shame to have lost that."