Tag: stillbirth solicitor

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A Hospital Helping Parents of Stillborn Babies

I sadly know first hand how what torture a mother of a stillborn baby endures giving birth on a labour ward. Surrounded by the cries of newborn babies it is hell.

It’s so cruel to think that in 2019, parents of stillborn babies meet their babies on the same wards as those welcoming healthy newborns.

It was really comforting to read an article in the BBC recently about a hospital in the Midlands who plan to make a separate building for parents giving birth to stillborn babies.

According to the Office of National Statistics, one in every 238 births in 2017 was a stillbirth.

In the same year, three in every 1,000 neonatal babies – those born after 24 weeks’ gestation – died.

According to the Miscarriage Association, more than one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage equating to about a quarter of a million in the UK each year.

Some of these pregnancies end up on the delivery ward.

Birmingham Women’s Hospital plans to take action and has begun fundraising for a standalone centre for families of stillborn babies and other baby loss.

Woodland House would be built on the hospital’s grounds, to help the 2,000 women and their families they see every year who have suffered miscarriage, failed IVF, stillbirth or neonatal death.

According to the BBC, a crowdfunding mission aims to raise £3.5m for Woodland House, which, if successful, will feature counselling rooms, a private garden, communal lounge for support groups and a family room.

I think this is a wonderful initiative. At the end of the day, giving birth to death is always going to amount to torture. However, anything that can be done to create better memories and make the whole experience even slightly less hellish is a positive thing. To be honest, the fact that an NHS trust has even thought about the idea is fantastic in itself.

I’ve read a lot of positive articles regarding stillbirth and neonatal death which is really pleasing as it signals a shift in opinion is respect of just how devastating and life changing it is.

You can find examples of this positivity here:

https://stillbirthclaims.com/over-a-million-pounds-to-be-spent-to-half-stillbirths-and-maternity-incidents-at-nhs-hospital/

https://stillbirthclaims.com/nhs-pledge-to-give-mothers-continuity-of-care-with-same-midwife-a-reduction-in-stillbirth/

https://stillbirthclaims.com/reduction-in-stillbirths-rates-at-hospital-in-hull/

For more information about Birmingham Women’s Hospital plans, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-48124991

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Over a Million Pounds to be Spent to Half Stillbirths and Maternity Incidents at NHS Hospital

It’s just so heartwarming to read on the Derby Telegraph website that more than a million pounds is going to be injected into Derby and Burton hospitals with this intention of halving the number of stillbirth and maternity incidents.

There were apparently 16 stillbirths at the Royal Derby hospital last year with the same amount in 2017 and more than double – 37 – in 2016. Last year, that’s 16 lives lost. The pattern of 16 families lives torn apart. Lives changed. Forever.

Of course, Derby and Burton hospitals proposal is part of a wider picture. The NHS has a long term plan to improve maternity care with the reduction of stillbirths and neonatal deaths – “Saving Babies Lives”.

In addition, the RCOG have also plans to tackle the high stillbirth rates with “Every Baby Counts” (see earlier blogs
https://stillbirthclaims.com/baby-counts-rcog-initiative/ and
https://stillbirthclaims.com/each-baby-counts-2018-progress-report-2/

In line with the mission of “Saving Babies Lives”, the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) says there is an aim to halve stillbirths, maternal mortality, neonatal mortality and serious brain injury in newborn babies by 2025.

Nearly a year ago, the Perinatal Institute found that 19 baby deaths at the Royal Derby between 2013 and 2016 “might” or should” have been preventable.

I genuinely commend the UHBD for allocating budget to the cause of saving babies lives in reducing stillbirth and neonatal death. One cannot underestimate the effects that a stillbirth or neonatal death can have on a family (I sadly know this first hand) and to read that a Trust is prioritising this is amazing. Hopefully more Trusts will follow suit.

For more information see: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/more-million-spent-halve-stillbirths-2870697

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Improving the Quality of Care after a Stillbirth or Neonatal Death

The National Bereavement Care Pathway (“NBCP”) are seeking to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care in NHS trusts following a stillbirth or neonatal death or other baby loss.

Launched in 2017, the NBCP seeks to increase the quality of, and reduce the inequity in, the bereavement care provided by healthcare professionals after the loss of a baby or pregnancy at any gestation. 

The five pathways in total include:

  1. Miscarried (including molar pregnancy and ectopic)
  2. Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality (TOPFA)
  3. Stillbirth
  4. Neonatal death
  5. Sudden Unexpected Death of an Infant

Following a ‘call for evidence’, draft pathways were created on the basis of good practice across the country. As a result, 32 healthcare settings in England have piloted the pathway over the past two years and have seen real changes for parents and professionals in their trusts. Following the outcome of the independent evaluations, the NBCP is being rolled out across England.

For more information see https://nbcpathway.org.uk/about-nbcp/national-bereavement-care-pathway-background-project

During Prime Minister’s Questions in Westminster on 15 May, the Prime Minister, in responding to a question from Antoinette Sandbach MP regarding the NBCP evaluation report released on 10 May, recognised the support that the NBCP provides to bereaved parents and urged all NHS Trusts to adopt the pathway. 

The evaluation of the NCBP can be found here: https://nbcpathway.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-05/NBCP%20wave%20two%20evaluation%20report%207%20May%202019_0.pdf

Minister for Mental Health, Jackie Doyle-Price, had the following to say about the NCBP evaluation:

“Every stillbirth or baby loss is a tragedy and we remain absolutely committed to supporting parents through this difficult time.

This independent evaluation shows that National Bereavement Care Pathway has already helped to strengthen the support for many bereaved families across the country, but there is more to do and I would urge all NHS Trusts to adopt this approach to ensure all care surrounding baby loss meets these consistent standards.

Through our Long Term Plan for the NHS we are also accelerating action to halve the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths over the next five years and improving access to perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners.”

POSTED ONMAY 14, 2019EDIT”HOSPITAL UNDER REVIEW – STILLBIRTHS AND NEONATAL DEATHS”

Hospital Under Review – Stillbirths and Neonatal Deaths

I’m both sad and frustrated to be sat at my desk writing this blog. Another hospital under review. Another hospital not affording a reasonable standard of care to mothers and babies. Another hospital not meeting national targets.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has received its fourth warning in eight months according to an article recently published in the Daily Mail.

The Care Quality commission (CQC) has issued a section 31 warning which means that the Trust faces closure if changes are not made.

Apparently, the most recent warning concerned a lack of staff in A&E particularly paediatricians.

An independent review is being conducted after 250 cases of poor maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust over the last 20 years. The review started in April 2017 following which many more families came forward over stillbirth, neonatal and child deaths.

It emerged that a failure to properly monitor heart rates played a contributory factor in five deaths whilst another two were found to be suspicious. Legal action taken and Inquests resulted in the finding that seven deaths were avoidable.

An investigation by the Trust found that two babies died from oxygen starvation to the brain ‘contributed to by delay in recognising deterioration in the foetal heart traces and the missed opportunities for earlier delivery’. 

In September 2018 the West Midlands Quality Review Service warned Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust about its lack of trained staff in paediatric resuscitation. 

The report noted that paediatric staff were only available ‘9am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 12 noon to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays’. 

‘Reviewers considered that a child could arrive and need resuscitation after 10pm and that a member of staff with appropriate competences to lead the resuscitation might not be available.’

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust attribute the lack of available staff due to a strain on the service with a rise in patients. As a result, the Trust has approved spending of over £1 million for additional staffing in an attempt to combat the problem.

I don’t understand how poor care can get so out of hand but looking at the situation with a my positive eyes, I sincerely hope that the extra staff employed will greatly improve the care given and that all those families get the answers that they are striving for.

For more information please see https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7014485/Scandal-hit-NHS-trust-centre-baby-deaths-review-receives-warning.html

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Hospital Under Review – Stillbirths and Neonatal Deaths

I’m both sad and frustrated to be sat at my desk writing this blog. Another hospital under review. Another hospital not affording a reasonable standard of care to mothers and babies. Another hospital not meeting national targets.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has received its fourth warning in eight months according to an article recently published in the Daily Mail.

The Care Quality commission (CQC) has issued a section 31 warning which means that the Trust faces closure if changes are not made.

Apparently, the most recent warning concerned a lack of staff in A&E particularly paediatricians.

An independent review is being conducted after 250 cases of poor maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust over the last 20 years. The review started in April 2017 following which many more families came forward over stillbirth, neonatal and child deaths.

It emerged that a failure to properly monitor heart rates played a contributory factor in five deaths whilst another two were found to be suspicious. Legal action taken and Inquests resulted in the finding that seven deaths were avoidable.

An investigation by the Trust found that two babies died from oxygen starvation to the brain ‘contributed to by delay in recognising deterioration in the foetal heart traces and the missed opportunities for earlier delivery’. 

In September 2018 the West Midlands Quality Review Service warned Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust about its lack of trained staff in paediatric resuscitation. 

The report noted that paediatric staff were only available ‘9am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 12 noon to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays’. 

‘Reviewers considered that a child could arrive and need resuscitation after 10pm and that a member of staff with appropriate competences to lead the resuscitation might not be available.’

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust attribute the lack of available staff due to a strain on the service with a rise in patients. As a result, the Trust has approved spending of over £1 million for additional staffing in an attempt to combat the problem.

I don’t understand how poor care can get so out of hand but looking at the situation with a my positive eyes, I sincerely hope that the extra staff employed will greatly improve the care given and that all those families get the answers that they are striving for.

For more information please see https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7014485/Scandal-hit-NHS-trust-centre-baby-deaths-review-receives-warning.html

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Royal Bolton Hospital Reduces stillbirth Rate

It was quite heartwarming to read online recently that the Royal Bolton Hospital have reduced the number of babies who are stillborn.

According to the Bolton News, there are 3.5 stillbirths per 1,000 – down from 12 in January and there were no stillbirths in January this year, compared to 4.3 across the region. The hospital is apparently two years ahead of the national schedule.

The Chairman of the hospital acknowledges that whilst some stillbirths are unpreventable, others are caused by smoking in pregnancy, growth restriction, reduced fetal movement and the monitoring of CTG in pregnancy. On a professional note, I have sadly handled many cases involving the later three causes of stillbirth with monitoring of CTG (primarily lack of or poor interpretation of) being the central allegation in the stillbirth cases that I handle.

To try and reduce their stillbirth rate, the hospital have provided extra training to Midwifes in relation to fetal movements (supporting mums), tested the level of carbon monoxide levels in women, invested in Dawes-Redman CTG monitors to provide enhanced monitoring and they have trained more staff to scan small babies.

Stillbirth (and neonatal death) receives a lot of negative press in the media in relation to our dire statistics and lack of major improvements. In this vein, it really is amazing to see that some Trusts are investing time and resources into reducing the stillbirth rates and ensuring that as few parents as possible experience the gut wrenching pain of losing their much loved and wanted babies.

I just hope that the wonderful achievement of the Royal Bolton Hospital in relation to the reduction of stillbirth rates are mirrored by other hospitals too. Fingers and toes crossed……


If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Campaign for Safer Births

I recently came across “Campaign for Safer Births” an organisation set up by two mothers in memory of their sons, Louie and Harry, both of whom died as a result of negligence during labour.

The Campaign’s mission is to improve NHS Maternity Services in order to reduce the avoidable deaths and injuries of babies and mothers during labour.

They highlight the scale of the problem on their website

http://www.campaignforsaferbirths.co.uk/page1.html, providing the following data:

* Over 500 babies are dying unnecessarily every year in labour or soon after, Perinatal Mortality Report 2009, Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries 2011 & ITV Tonight programme

* The cost of litigation relating to obstetric mistakes was £3.1 billion over 10 years to March 2010. Obstetrics is the highest area of litigation by cost, NHS Litigation Authority Report: Ten Years of Maternity Claims An Analysis of NHS Litigation Authority Data, October 2012

* The UK has very poor stillbirth rates – 33rd out of 35 similar high income countries, V Flenady et al. Stillbirths: the way forward in high-income countries. The Lancet 2011, Vol. 377, Issue 9778, Pages 1703-1717

* Having a baby through the night or at the weekend is associated with a 45% increased risk of neonatal death due to oxygen starvation during the birth. This is thought to be due to poor staffing and junior doctors being left alone, even though 70% of babies are born through the night 38 D Pasupathy, A Wood, J Pell, H Mechan, M Fleming, GCS Smith. Time of birth and risk of neonatal death at term: retrospective cohort study, BMJ 2010

* Overstretched maternity wards having to turn women away – An RCM report found more than half of NHS trusts had to close their door an average of seven times a year, Royal College Midwives: State of Maternity Services Report, 2012

* Lack of Consultant cover –Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) agree that 24/7 consultant cover is required urgently

* Hospitals not consistently following national NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines – procedures and staffing levels

* Midwife numbers not keeping pace with the rising birth rate

* Lack of quality control and monitoring both internally and externally and lack of Coroner involvement – Coroners are involved in all deaths that are sudden, unexpected or due to neglect, except for babies dying at birth. Why?

* Hospitals not disclosing their mistakes and therefore not learning

The facts and statistics speak for themselves. Urgent change is required to reduce our unacceptably high stillbirth and neonatal death rate.

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Each Baby Counts: RCOG Initiative

Following on from last month’s Panorama, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have launched a new five-year initiative, “Each Baby Counts”, to help reduce the UK’s stillbirth rates. They aim to reduce the number of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries as a result of incidents during full-term labour by 2020.

Stillbirth rates in the UK remain unacceptably high. According to the RCOG, current estimates suggest that around 500 babies a year die or are left severely disabled as a result of something going wrong in labour. The starvation of oxygen at birth can lead to severe brain injury such as cerebral palsy. The RCOG does not accept that all of these are unavoidable tragedies and has committed to halving the number by 2020.

From January 2015, the RCOG will start collecting and analysing data to improve future care. For the first time, information will be shared nationally. Jane Brewin, CEO of Tommy’s states that “recognition that some stillbirths are preventable feeds into a wider change in mindset across the field and we can now see real and meaningful action starting to take shape”. Jane goes onto correctly state that “..Whilst this is an important step forward towards saving babies’ lives, it’s only part of the answer”, referring to the fact that far more needs to be done in terms of carrying out research to learn why babies die in pregnancy with this accounting for the majority of stillbirth cases.

The UK’s stillbirth rates during pregnancy need to be reduced as well as those that occur during pregnancy but for now, Each Baby Counts” is a step in the right direction after decades of doing virtually nothing.

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Breaking the Taboo: Every Little Helps

Following BBC Panorama’s documentary, “Born Asleep”, it is fantastic to see that stillbirth and neonatal death has been given so much well-deserved media attention, especially during October, International Baby Loss Awareness Month.

Professor Kypros Nicolaides told Panorama that more than half of all stillbirths (there are approximately 3,500 each year) could be prevented. He claims that offering a Doppler scan, which measure the blood flow from the placenta to the baby was the key to the reduction.

Many stillbirths are caused by the failure of the placenta, starving the baby of food and oxygen. Professor Kypros Nicolaides claims that as many as 90% of these cases can be identified from as early as the 12 week scan which would result in the adjustment of antenatal care. King’s College Hospital, London (where Professor Kypros Nicolaides is based) offers Doppler scans routinely at 12, 22 and 32 weeks.

Placental Failure often occurs at the end of pregnancy. It is therefore argued that with the help of the Doppler scan, babies lives can be saved as any abnormality in the placenta can be seen and the baby can be born by C-section before it is too late. Currently, Doppler scans are only used in high risk women which account for only 15-20% of all pregnancies.

Introduction of the Doppler would eradicate the over reliance by health professionals on the tape measure, an antiquated method of measuring a baby’s growth in pregnancy.

St George’s Hospital in London has also introduced the Doppler scan to all first-time mothers at 20 weeks, which costs £15 per mother when given at the same time as a foetal anomaly scan. The hospital claims that since this introduction, it has seen its stillbirth rate drop by 50% in three years.

A clinical trial is needed and further research carried out before the NHS introduce the Doppler as part of routine antenatal care but the statistics look promising.

In the meantime, NHS England is encouraging hospital trusts to adopt the Growth Assisted Protocol (GAP), at a cost of 50p per pregnancy. It is claimed that this method cuts stillbirth rates by up to 22%. It was created by Professor Jason Gardosi, director of the Perinatal Institute in Birmingham and works by giving each mother a customised growth chart which is developed using factors such as her height, weight at beginning of pregnancy, ethnic origin and how many children she has had. The chart estimates the expected growth of the baby for each week in pregnancy and the theory behind it is that if a baby’s growth falls outside what is expected, the mother is then referred for extra scans which would highlight any baby in need of early delivery.

Almost two-thirds of Trusts have signed up. A definite step in the right direction.

I sincerely hope that Professor Kypros Nicolaides and his team are able to convince the NHS of the need to introduce routine Doppler scans as part of antenatal care.

If you or a loved one would like to discuss a stillbirth compensation claim or neonatal death compensation claim, please do not hesitate to contact us.