A pregnant woman about to have a Caesarean after a difficult three-day labour was sworn at by a hospital worker who demanded to know why she couldn’t give birth naturally, a hearing was told today.

Samantha Shepherd was told that her baby’s life would be in danger if she didn’t have a Caesarean. But the conversation with her doctor was interrupted when Nigel Baglin, a surgery assistant, stormed into the room and shouted “F****** hell, why can’t women in this hospital give birth naturally?”

Mr Baglin, an anaesthetic support agency worker at Newham University Hospital, East London, crashed his trolley into the door of the room during the outburst, the competence committee hearing heard.

The worker said he made the comments because he was “aghast” at the number of Caesarian sections being carried out at the hospital. “It was like every patient on the ward wanted one and had consented to them.

“As a personal opinion, I did not think this was natural. It was a sarcastic comment aimed at the doctor and it was a mistake on my part,” Mr Baglin, who now works in Derby, said.

Mrs Shepherd, a mother of three, said she already had reservations about the Caesarean and was left devastated by the confrontation. “I felt I was a complete failure,” she said.

“I was really nervous about having the baby. I had two previous births naturally. Every woman has a plan and this labour was not going along as hoped,” she said.

“The doctor was explaining that I needed to have a second epidural when he (Mr Baglin) entered the room and banged the door with his trolley.” She said everyone in the room heard his outburst.

“He stormed out and everyone was in shock. I felt worthless and told my husband I was a complete failure.”

She said she would not use the hospital if she fell pregnant again.

Mr Baglin said the outburst was not intended personally. He said: “It was an off-the-cuff comment. I admit it was inappropriate but I was being rushed around.” But a witness said Baglin’s comments were directed straight at Mrs Shepherd.

The woman said: “He was so angry you could see the veins in his neck. He wanted to be an exhibitionist and he wanted it to be heard.”

After the incident in February last year, the hospital reported Mr Baglin’s outburst to his agency, and said it would not employ him in future.

Mr Baglin told the inquiry at Park House, Kennington Park Road, south east London, he resigned from his work at the hospital the day after the incident when a formal complaint had been made against him.

A panel on the committee will rule whether Mr Baglin’s fitness to practise is impaired. The hearing continues.

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