Hospital apologises for baby's death after labour pains were mistaken for constipation
Parents now want lessons to be learned
Stepping Hill Hospital has said sorry after a newborn baby died when staff mistook the mother's labour pain as constipation.
Joanne Farrar, 41, from Ashbourne, says she knew she was in labour when she started to experience severe pain and discomfort on July 7th 2014. After driving herself to the hospital in Stockport and informing doctors , they believed she had developed an infection and then insisted she was constipated.
Eventually, after she suffered a bleed, it was confirmed she was in labour and her daughter Ava was born via a planned caesarean section. However, it was confirmed that Ava had suffered severe brain damage and just days later, on July 12th, the heart-breaking decision was made to turn her life support off.
A post-mortem indicated that while Ava had developed properly, evidence suggested she had been deprived of oxygen. An inquest into her death concluded that she died of natural causes contributed to by neglect, with the coroner criticising staff for failing to consider âalmost the blindingly obvious pointâ that Joanne may have been in labour.
Following their experience, Joanne and her husband James instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them gain answers and justice regarding Avaâs death. Now, after the lawyers secured them a settlement with an admission of liability and a letter of apology from Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, the couple have urged that the horrific ordeal they have faced is never repeated.
Gayle Palmer, the legal expert at Irwin Mitchellâs Manchester office who represents the family, said: âThis is a truly devastating case in which a couple have lost their daughter as a result of circumstances which simply should never have happened.
âMore than three years on, our clients are still doing everything they can to come to terms with what they have been through and the incredibly difficult decisions they faced - decisions no parent should ever have to make.
âWhile nothing will ever change what happened, we are delighted to have helped them gain justice, answers and an apology regarding what they endured. Stepping Hill Hospital has faced much criticism in recent times and it is vital that every effort is made to improve the quality of care provided to patients.â
From the outset, Joanneâs pregnancy was considered high risk as she had required an emergency caesarean section with her first child Bobby, nine, and then a planned C-section with her second, Izzy, six. Her waters ruptured at 30 weeks with Ava, so she required monitoring twice a week to check on the health of both her and the baby.
She recalled: âI did everything I was told by hospital staff, so was stunned when I had some issues with them. At one point I overheard a doctor refusing to examine me and calling me a âtime-wasterâ, while it was also suggested that I have a natural birth despite the issues with my previous pregnancies. It was an incredibly upsetting time.â
It was eventually agreed that Joanne would have a planned C-section at 38 weeks on July 17th 2014 but, 10 days before, she started to suffer severe pain and discomfort which came in waves.
She said: âHaving had two children already, I knew what I was experiencing was undoubtedly labour. I managed to get myself to hospital and told the doctors and midwives, but they claimed it was just a urinary tract infection.
âTo make matters worse, when tests came back clear I was then told I was constipated and given medication for it. I was in utter disbelief as no one was listening to me.â
Joanne added: âWe faced the decision of having to turn Avaâs life support off and it was the hardest thing that James and I have ever done. I felt like I had given up on my baby and remain devastated that I had to do it in the first place.
âI cannot help but think that if I had been treated somewhere other than Stepping Hill this may not have happened. Ava was never given a chance at life and to spend time with her brother and sister and this remains incredibly hard to take. All I wish is that someone had taken me seriously and listened to what I was saying.
âMy only wish at this point is that, following our legal action, steps have been taken to ensure no other families face the same horrible ordeal that we have been through.â
In a statement Ann Barnes, Chief Exec of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said:
âI deeply regret that the standard of care that your daughter received was inadequate and I would like to take this time to express my deepest sympathy on the loss of your daughter and the distress that this and subsequent investigations have caused you and your family,â
In the letter she went on to say:
"I hope that you accept my apology on behalf of the trust.