A mum was forced to 'wait in a hospital toilet because of her baby's Covid-19 symptoms.
Leah Smith was left 'disgusted and embarrassed' after being consigned to the bathroom for just under an hour.
She was also asked to feed her little one in the toilet as he woke up, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Manchester University Foundation Trust has apologised to mother and son and launched an investigation into her treatment.
Leah called 111 on July 27 after Oakley, began suffering Covid-19 symptoms at their home in Altrincham, Manchester.
The mum-of-five says was wary her baby could be coming down with the virus, as two of her other children had recently received positive tests.
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After speaking to a doctor on the phone, Leah claims she was advised to take her baby to hospital to be checked.
She was sent to Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester city centre, where specialist paediatricians would be able to provide the best care for the newborn.
But when she arrived there was 'no one at the front desk' at the entrance she went into.
The confusion led her to search the corridors of the 'unfamiliar' hospital for the children's emergency department at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Leah says she was wearing a mask, while Oakley was lying in his carrier cot.
The mum asked a passing nurse where to go, telling the staff member her baby had Covid-19 symptoms amid two other positive cases in her household.
Two nurses discussed the mum and son's case, before directing her 'past the waiting area' for emergency department and into 'a toilet by the waiting area', claims Leah.
The mum was astonished as the toilet door was held open for her.
She said: "I told the nurse that he was going to need feeding soon as he was stirring. She said 'you can feed him in there.'
"It's a toilet, it's riddled with germs, he's only five-weeks-old.
"I sat there for 10 minutes while the nurse came back with a form."
After filling in the form in the toilet, Leah realised she made a clerical error, but says the nurse was 'rude' to her.
"The nurse said 'make sure it's right first time, it saves me a job.'
"Then I waited for 50 minutes in a toilet with a newborn baby before a doctor told me to come and see them in a different room.
"I did have to feed him in there as well."
Oakley was assessed and sent back home to be monitored by his surprised mother: "I was absolutely disgusted at how we were treated. I was so shocked at the way I was spoken to. Lost for words.
"It wasn't really until I got home that I realised what had happened.
"I couldn't believe they'd just done that. He could have caught anything in that toilet.
"Why do they not have a place for people with Covid symptoms to wait, they will be seeing a lot of that at the moment? I just hope they don't do that to anybody else."
The hospital trust said it is was not standard practice for any patient of the paediatric emergency department to be told to wait in a toilet.
It also confirmed all patients who attend the paediatric emergency department are streamed at the front entrance.
A spokesman for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH), part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: “We apologise unreservedly to Ms Smith and her son for their experience in our Paediatric Emergency Department.
“We take all complaints very seriously and we are grateful to Ms Smith for raising her concerns, which we are investigating fully.
"We will continue to work with Ms Smith to resolve the issues she has raised and will provide her with an update on our investigation.”
