Applause and cheers as baby born in toilets at Harold Wood Polyclinic
The baby being carried by a member of polyclinic staff. - Credit: Archant
GPs at the Harold Wood Polyclinic had an extra patient to attend to this afternoon when a baby was born in the toilet.
People in the waiting room were left stunned when a woman gave birth in the ladies’ loo shortly after 1pm.
Doctors and nurses helped deliver the surprise arrival before announcing that both mum and baby – a boy – were safe and well.
Jake Portsmouth was waiting for an appointment with his GP as the drama unfolded.
He said: “I was sitting there waiting to be seen when all of a sudden, the staff started running around.
You may also want to watch:
“I was worried about what was going on because I couldn’t really tell what was happening in the toilet.
“But then one of the main guys came out and announced a baby boy had been born.”
Most Read
- 1 Illegal car meet in Rainham sees 49 fined for Covid breaches
- 2 Letters: Social distancing, vaccination experience and how to stop catalytic converter thefts
- 3 Infection rates are now falling in Havering - is lockdown working?
- 4 70% of Havering residents voted to leave the EU
- 5 Havering parks and gardens five feet under water as rivers burst their banks
- 6 'It was surreal': Hornchurch personal trainer wins £10k with family on TV gameshow
- 7 Fines issued to Romford and Upminster restaurants flouting coronavirus restrictions
- 8 Brentwood Tudor church damaged in illegal New Year's Eve party raises nearly £20,000 for repairs
- 9 Heritage: Measuring speed of sound at Upminster
- 10 Sonic boom heard across east London, Essex and Cambridge
Members of the public were asked wait outside the centre while the new mum and child were seen to and moved out of the building.
Jake said: “We all gave them a round of applause and a cheer – it was a really touching moment.
“It was so weird that it was happening in the room next to me and I didn’t hear a thing.
“I think it was a shock to everyone. It must have been one of the most surreal things that has ever happened to me.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said paramedics were called to the polyclinic, in St Clements Avenue, at around 1.10pm to reports of a woman giving birth.
She added: “We sent two single responders in cars and an ambulance crew to the scene.
“Our staff took a woman reported to be in her 20s to Queen’s Hospital.”
