New ambulance care assistant helps deliver baby in Ipswich Hospital car park
A newly-recruited ambulance care assistant was pushed to new limits outside a Suffolk hospital with an unusual initiation during his first official week on the job.
Joshua Hender, care assistant at E-zec Medical, was posed with the stressful challenge of assisting a mother in the very final stages of labour in Ipswich Hospital's car park, having only been in the job for a matter of days.
Mr Hender was sat with his ambulance partner, Andy, outside the hospital waiting for instructions on their next job before he was surprisingly called to action.
He said: “Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of us, with a man frantically running out and shouting for help.
“We jumped out of the cab, and once we realised what was happening, Andy and the dad fled into the building to get maternity assistance. I started talking to the mother in labour, helping her to keep calm, but quickly realised that the baby was coming. Now.
“Within a matter of minutes, the baby was in my arms. I wrapped the newborn in a coat and placed her onto the mother’s chest, until the maternity team came to take over. It certainly was a very exciting first Friday shift, and a day I’ll never forget.”
Prior to working at E-zec, Joshua was a semi-professional goalkeeper for Ipswich Town, and so is no stranger to making fast-paced decisions, and making that crucial save – albeit, never before a baby.
Carl Cheadle, Road-based Supervisor at E-zec Medical, said: “This is such an incredible story and portrays just what a valuable role our colleagues play in supporting our communities as a whole. We’re extremely proud of Joshua for his quick thinking and supporting the mother during what must have been an incredibly scary time for all.
“He truly immersed himself into the role and has demonstrated what it means to go above and beyond – a crucial part of being an ACA. And, being an ex-semi-professional footballer, mum and baby were certainly both in very safe hands! Well done to all involved, and huge congratulations to the parents, who have informed us they are all doing well.”
E-zec Medical provides specialist non-emergency, bariatric, and high-dependency medical transport to patients – including fast transfer to and from NHS trusts across the country. And, in this instance, immediate maternity assistance.
