Troubled Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust Tragically Familiar

The recent Panorama documentary focusing on Gloucestershire NHS Trust has drawn much needed attention to the experiences of some women and their families during birth. What should be the happiest time can, for some, turn into avoidable tragedy.

As a clinical negligence solicitor, I regularly speak with families affected by poor care before, during and after birth. Unfortunately, I hear of the plight suffered by these families when things go wrong after trusting medical professionals to deliver appropriate care and safely bring their children into the world.

I currently represent a family who sadly lost their child under the care of the Gloucestershire NHS Trust. It is disappointing to discover that these failings are so widespread within the Trust.

The Panorama documentary highlighted that there had been avoidable deaths at Gloucestershire NHS Trust as a result of delays and failure to listen and act upon women’s concerns during labour.

It was shocking to hear that a midwife raised concerns about the staff involved in these cases some months earlier, yet no action had been taken with the maternity management at the trust, actively discouraging staff from formally reporting staffing concerns. The willingness to ignore safety is frightening.

Whilst the NHS advises that it has made improvements to maternity services over the last decade and are currently working with hospital trusts to ensure safer, more personalised and equitable maternity care for all families, there remains more to do across the country to improve their experiences.

According to SANDs (Stillborn and neonatal death charity), every day in the UK 17 babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth. Although, not all are because of negligence substandard care can be involved in the fatality if the relevant medical professionals failed to take action to prevent the injury to the baby.

We hope that the NHS three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services changes the current state of maternity care in the UK where these tragedies are an all too regular occurrence.

If you have been affected by poor maternity care at Gloucestershire NHS Trust or any other hospital trust, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0345 872 6666 to discuss your situation further.