Hazel Williams and Lisa Land, Midwives at the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust were struck off the medical register due to them failing to seek emergency care for two newborn babies who later died. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel heard both babies may have lived if they had heeded warning signs.
Both babies were born seriously ill at the Aveta Birth Centre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Senior midwife Miss Williams (who led the unit) and Mrs Land (Midwife of 16 years) failed to respond quickly enough and call an ambulance for them to be taken to the nearest hospital. The pair then altered medical records to make it appear as though the babies were in a better condition.
Baby A was born and within minutes he was struggling to breathe. An ambulance was not called until 50 minutes after his birth including a 20-minute delay between Mrs Land deciding that he needed to be transferred and the emergency call being made. It was not until an hour and a half after birth that Baby A was transferred to the neonatal unit. He sadly passed away the next morning from a lack of oxygen and a haemorrhage. An expert witness told the panel that the delay ‘significantly shortened’ the chances of Baby A surviving, she said it was not certain he would have lived but the cause of his deterioration might have been reversed if he had been transferred to the neonatal unit faster.
Baby B’s mother requested an ambulance 6 hours into her labour however she was ignored by Mrs Land who only backed down after being asked 3 times. In this time Baby B’s heart rate had dropped and life support was withdrawn 3 days later.
An independent investigation by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch took place into Baby B’s death. The investigation found the bleeding in labour meant Baby B’s mother should have been transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital sooner and it could have saved Baby B.
The panel considered the attempt to cover up their actions, with inaccurate and dishonest record keeping, to be a breach of the fundamental tenets of the midwifery profession and therefore brought its reputation into disrepute. It was of the view that such acts or omissions could discourage members of the public to seek midwifery services at a birthing unit.
Birth Negligence
If you have experienced negligent medical treatment during your pregnancy, while in labour, or during post-natal care that has resulted in injury or the loss of your baby, you may be entitled to make a claim for damages. For a free, no obligation, and confidential discussion about what you’ve experienced, please contact Farleys medical negligence solicitors today on 0845 287 0939, by email, or through our online chat below.
