ANSWERS are being sought over the death of new mother Amanda Cox in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Monday night.
The 34-year-old from Peebles is being reported in her local area as having taken “a wrong turning” when she came out of the neonatal ward where her premature son Murray is being cared for.
It is believed she was trying to return to her own ward and was seeking medication, but she was later found in an empty stairwell of the Infirmary.
She was last seen at around 3pm on Monday and after she was declared missing, police and hospital staff searched the grounds of the hospital in the Little France area, only for her to be found inside the hospital having apparently suffered a haemorrhage.
It is understood that police located her on CCTV. Despite urgent medical treatment, she died an hour after being discovered.
The Evening News quoted a source saying: “Nurses on her ward might’ve thought she was with her baby and those on the specialist care unit might’ve thought she was on her ward – it’s a tragic set of events.”
Christine Graham, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweedale and Lauderdale, sent her condolences to Amanda Cox’s family and is now looking for answers about what happened and why it took so long to find her.
She said “This is appalling news. It’s a tragedy for the family”
“How over many hours, not just minutes, many hours this mother went missing in a hospital.
“How there was a search outside the grounds but nobody located her within the hospital. It should never have happened. It’s dreadful and it must never happen again.”
Police Scotland said: “We can confirm that missing woman Amanda Cox was discovered collapsed within the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary around 10pm on Monday December 10.
“She sadly passed away a short time later. The death is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious, and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with Amanda’s family and friends at this time.”
Jim Crombie, deputy chief executive, NHS Lothian, commented: “My thoughts and sympathies are with the family of Amanda Cox at this sad time.
He added: “A police investigation is ongoing and we are assisting with their inquiries.”
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