I had my baby in hospital car park

A mother today described how passers-by helped deliver her son as she gave birth in a hospital car park.

Alexandra Lakhan, 29, went into labour so quickly there was no time for her or husband Rumell to alert Newham General Hospital before they set off from their home five minutes away.

The reception desk was closed and it fell to three bystanders to deliver 6lb 8oz Jeevan after a labour which lasted about half an hour.

Mrs Lakhan's waters broke at 6.30pm on 22 August. Her husband, a mortgage adviser, drove her from their home in Silvertown and went to buy a ticket for the car park - not realising the birth was already in its final stages.

"He didn't believe me when I said the baby's head was coming out," said Mrs Lakhan, a teacher who has a two-year-old daughter, Anoushka. "He put me on the floor, took my trousers off and saw the baby's head looking at him."

Although the couple were a few yards from the hospital entrance, there were no medical workers around. People who were visiting patients heard the mother's screams and went to help.

Mrs Lakhan said: "All these women were helping and a man there panicked. He thought 'Let's call an ambulance' even though we were by the hospital. He was on the phone to the paramedics and telling the women what to do. It was quite funny."

When Jeevan was born just before 7pm, the umbilical cord snapped. Mr Lakhan, 38, then went to find help.

Mrs Lakhan said: "It was a bit scary as there was a lot of blood. A maternity team came down and took the baby away and took me into the ward.

"I was supposed to have a water birth, all calm and relaxed, but in the end we were both OK. Jeevan was quite unfussed by the whole thing."

One of those who helped was Joan Haines, 53, who was visiting her mother. "I delivered the baby and I held on to him until the midwife came," said the community centre manager from Stratford. "It felt forever until he cried. As soon as he did, we knew he was OK.

"I'm just so happy that he was fine and I did what I could do. But the next time I hear anyone scream, it will be me running to get the midwife."

The hospital is part of the Newham University Hospital NHS Trust, which has been criticised by regulators for its maternity services, described as among the "least well-performing".

A Trust spokeswoman said: "The hospital is open 24 hours. Maternity can be easily reached through the doors."