Mother-to-be told to find hospital bed

A pregnant woman who had gone into labour was told by the hospital where she was due to give birth that she should use the Yellow Pages to find an alternative location because they were full.

Gail Jordan, 38, said she was turned away from Solihull Hospital's maternity unit and told to look in the phone directory. The first hospital she rang, Warwick Hospital, had beds available, and her husband Dean drove her the 20-mile trip where she gave birth to 7lb 12oz Alexander.

She said: "I called Solihull that morning at around 6am to tell them I was going into labour. They told me that was fine, there shouldn't be a problem and by 6pm I thought I was ready to go, so we packed our bags and got ready.

"I called in again to make sure it was still okay and this rude woman told me not to bother coming in.

"I explained I was having three contractions every ten minutes and she said, 'Well what do you want me do to about it?' I asked if they had any overflow hospitals, she they told me there were but I would have to look in the Yellow Pages for the number."