HEROIC staff at a Leigh GP surgery leapt into action to help safely deliver a baby in its car park.
GPs and employees at Highlands Surgery, on London Road, Leigh, are well versed in dealing with a variety of queries on a daily basis but were surprised on Wednesday as a dad rushed inside asking for help.
Dr Alex Shaw explained the dad-to-be had walked into the surgery and revealed his partner was going into labour, before the whole team rushed outside.
The doctor praised the teamwork of his colleagues in extraordinary circumstances as the surgery united to help deliver the baby safely within the car park before the family were whizzed off to hospital in an ambulance.
He said: “They were on their way to the hospital, when they must have realised they weren’t going to make it, so pulled into the surgery.
“The father was queuing in reception and said he needed some medical attention as his wife was having a baby.
“We all rushed out to assist, and it all happened very quickly.
“It was an incredibly calm and collected response from everyone.
“Both the mother and father were fantastic, even though I am sure they weren’t expecting to deliver in a car park.
“It was a relief when everything was okay.”
The newborn cried immediately after delivery, and both mum and baby were okay and healthy, according to the GP surgery.
Dr Shaw added: “It is a good, happy story in the end.
“It was a bit of a shock feeling afterwards, as normally this is something I would be watching on TV in a George Clooney ER special.
“It is not your typical Wednesday morning at a GP, that is for sure.
“But we are just happy everything worked out. It will be a story to tell the little one when she grows up.
“The NHS often gets a lot of criticism but when it works, it works.
“The surgery united together, alongside the ambulance service, and it was a positive ending.”
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