Board admits liability following stillbirth at University Hospital Wales due to untreated pre-eclampsia
Mikhail Popov secured an admission of liability from the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board following the tragic stillbirth of his client's fifth child at the University Hospital Wales in March 2022.
The claim involves negligent antenatal and obstetric care by hospital staff and the community midwifery service of Mrs A, particularly the failure to respond to clear signs that she was suffering from pre-eclampsia.
Mrs A was checked in for antenatal care at the hospital at 17-weeks pregnant and routine tests were normal. Mrs A is an Arabic speaker, originally from Syria, so had an interpreter present at her antenatal appointments. She was under the care of the community midwifery service.
At a routine appointment at 39-weeks' gestation, the community midwife noted concerns with the baby's growth, with a reduction from the 95th centile to below the 50th centile. Mrs A's face, feet, and hands also appeared swollen, and she reported back pain. The midwife also noted the baby was lying transverse (horizontally rather than vertically across the uterus). Put together, these were clear warning signs of possible pre-eclampsia.
The midwife arranged for Mrs A to be moved to obstetric review at the hospital and asked for a growth ultrasound scan to be arranged. A junior doctor however decided that Mrs A did not need to be seen urgently but should instead be referred to her GP, and an ultrasound was only arranged for six days later.
Despite the obstetric consultant advising that Mrs A should indeed be seen the same day, the junior doctor said that she was unable to find Mrs A's contact details and so failed to escalate Mrs A's care.
By the time Mrs A was admitted to the labour ward at 40 weeks' gestation, her baby had died in utero and was stillborn due to placental abruption.
The subsequent internal report by the hospital board is critical of the junior doctor's 'limited effort' in contacting Mrs A, despite being told to do so by the consultant, and the failure to listen to the midwife's concerns which led to urgent obstetric review being declined.
NICE guidelines also stipulate that if a baby is lying transverse, the mother should be referred for a scan within 24 hours. The report concludes that had Mrs A been promptly referred for obstetric review, her pre-eclampsia would have been recognised and her baby's in utero death would likely have been avoided.
Mikhail was instructed to investigate the stillbirth by Mrs A and obtained the admission of liability from the board within five months of instruction. The claim will now be quantified.
Mikhail previously raised concerns that Mrs A's case echoes the recent Birth Trauma Inquiry which, like previous reports, notes that poor communication and not being listened to are repeatedly cited issues in maternity healthcare.
Our medical negligence team's first-hand experience is that poor treatment and dismissal is particularly prevalent among Black and Asian maternity patients.
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For further information about stillbirth claims and medical negligence claims, please call Mikhail Popov on 03304607236 or email mikhail.popov@fieldfisher.com.
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