A mother was left clutching her dying baby after giving birth on a lavatory at a new hospital because there were no trained staff.

Catherine Brown, 30, endured the birth of her premature baby with only her mother for help as hospital staff said that they could not assist her because they were unqualified.

Queen’s Hospital in Romford, Essex, apologised yesterday for Ms Brown’s ordeal and said that it was now employing gynaecological specialists. Ms Brown, a surveyor, had to wait 20 hours for a scan after she began haemorrhaging and was taken by ambulance to the hospital’s accident and emergency ward.

Doctors advised her to have the pregnancy induced early because her life was at risk. Ms Brown was lying in a bed in a mixed-sex general ward when the labour started earlier than expected. She went to a lavatory and gave birth to Edward Paul Brown 22 weeks early on February 23. He died almost immediately.

Ms Brown, of Hornchurch, Essex. said: “I just sat there on the toilet looking at my dead baby. It was dreadful, a terrible nightmare. I still can’t believe the hospital had no trained-up staff who could help me with my poor baby. I had to go through sheer hell.

“I have come forward because I don’t want something like this to happen to anyone else. It was devastating. When I delivered him I just howled and howled. Edward was still attached to the umbilical cord and I remember sitting there just looking at him and thinking, ‘What do I do next? What?’ And then I started crying my eyes out and just repeating, ‘I'm sorry, baby, I’m so sorry’. ”

The hospital also nearly cremated Edward’s body without the family’s knowledge despite agreeing to release the body for a funeral. Ms Brown, who has an 18-month-old son, Matthew, said: “They didn’t even record the details of Edward’s birth. But he did exist. He has made sure that other families won’t have to go through what we did. We’ll never forget him.”

Her mother, Sheila Keeling, 51, said: “Catherine was left to deliver the baby alone with just me for help before cleaning herself up and going back to bed. It was horrific. I was running around frantically for over an hour trying to find gas and air for her, and pleaded with nurses, who seemed very matter of fact, to come and assist. The staff I did find told me they didn’t have the training to help.”

James Brokenshire, MP for Hornchurch, has raised the case with Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the £238 million Queen’s Hospital. “This has to be one of the most harrowing medical cases I have ever had to deal with,” he said. “Catherine almost died and she later discovered the baby had nearly been disposed of with medical waste.

“It caused tremendous distress to her and her mother. The trust has obviously responded by making significant changes in the way it manages early pregnancies, but questions remain as to how this was allowed to happen.”

A spokesman for the trust said: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Ms Brown. This matter has been fully investigated and senior medical and nursing staff have met with Ms Brown.” The hospital said that after Ms Brown’s case it had established a separate gynaecological accident and emergency service.

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