Ombudsman rules Northampton General Hospital failed pregnant woman

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has stated that a pregnant woman was “left too scared to try for another child” due to hospital failings.

A report has said that the Buckinghamshire woman, who had a mood disorder, was left “confused and terrified” by her experience at the hospital.

The hospital has offered its “deep regret and unreserved apology”.

The woman who has cyclothymia, similar to bipolar disorder, was admitted to hospital for a planned induction to start the process of giving birth.  She was given treatment to start contractions in the afternoon and by the evening these had become regular, and she was in a lot of pain.  Her waters broke, but staff did not realise that she was in established labour.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found that she should have been seen by a midwife an hour earlier than she was.  They also concluded that the trust failed to act in line with NICE guidance by not examining the woman when she was having regular painful contractions and by failing to provide timely and effective pain relief.  They also refused to arrange for her partner to be with her.

In a statement, Northamptonshire General Hospital’s chief executive Heidi Smoult, said “I would like to offer our deep regret and unreserved apology for the events experienced by this mother in our maternity unit in 2019.

“We always aim to treat concerns raised by parents-to-be with our maternity team with compassion and address them quickly and appropriately.  We accept that in this case the care delivered was not good enough.

“As a result, we have extensively reviewed our arrangements for early maternity care in the light of the issues raised and put in place a number of changes to ensure that all parents-to-be receive the care they need, including close monitoring, support and pain relief during their labour.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s Legal 500 recommended West Yorkshire medical negligence solicitors and birth injury solicitors, have over 20 years of experience and specialist expertise in medical negligence investigations and claims, including cerebral palsy claims and other birth injury claims, supporting injured clients and their families through the legal process and helping them obtain answers, justice and compensation after life-changing events.  We have offices in Huddersfield, Wakefield, Halifax, Leeds, Bradford and Morley and represent clients locally and nationally.

If you or a relative have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence lawyers on the freephone number below or e-mail us.

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Freephone : 0800 304 7382