A Milford Haven woman says the trauma of an emergency caesarean could have been avoided if she had not been left bleeding internally in a wheelchair for hours.

Jacovia Downing complained to the Ombudsman and Hywel Dda Health Board after she was left sitting in Withybush Hospital’s A&E department for six hours before being examined.

Jacovia was 12 days over her due date, and set to be induced, when she fell and was referred to the hospital by her GP, who suspected a fractured pelvis.

When she was finally taken to the maternity ward, hours after arriving, she was found to have internal bleeding and the baby was in distress.

She said: “I was a high risk pregnancy and they abandoned me in a wheelchair. It’s quite disgusting.

“I wasn’t seen by anyone or given any pain relief or anything to eat or drink.”

An emergency caesarean was performed under general anaesthetic, and Jacovia received four pints of blood.

Jacovia said: “If I had been seen on arrival, they could have monitored me, and it might have prevented the need for an emergency caesarean.”

A week later she was referred back to hospital with a suspected hernia on the caesarean site.

She said: “They said I had munchausen’s and told me to go away and stop wasting their time.”

Last week, Jacovia, whose son Oliver is now one year old, had surgery for the hernia.

She recently received a letter from the health board’s chief executive which refers to a ‘breakdown in communication’.

It states: “It is unacceptable that you were left in a wheelchair in pain for several hours, and I can only apologise to you for this on behalf of the A&E department.”

The reference to munchausen syndrome has been removed from her records.

Director of corporate services, Christopher Wright, said: “The health board has fully investigated this complaint and apologised to the family for any distress caused. A full report has been provided to the family and we have made a number of improvements to our services as a result.

“It is the family’s right to seek a review and we will of course work closely with the Ombudsman to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”

Jacovia added: “I want them to change their policy so that if other mums go in after an accident they are seen within a time limit, and don’t risk bleeding to death in a wheelchair.”