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Found 547 results
  1. News Article
    Health inspectors considered shutting down a maternity unit earlier this year over safety concerns. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) instead called for "immediate improvements" following a visit to the William Harvey hospital in Ashford, Kent. Helen Gittos, whose newborn daughter died in the care of the East Kent Hospitals Trust, said there were "fundamental" problems at the trust. The inspection of East Kent's William Harvey hospital laid bare multiple instances of inadequate practices at the unit, including staff failing to wash their hands after each patient, and life-saving equipment not being in the right place. Days after the visit, the watchdog raised safety concerns and threatened the trust with enforcement action to ensure patients are protected. Ms Gittos, whose baby Harriet was born at the East Kent trust's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in 2014 and died eight days later, said: "When my daughter Harriet was born, the then head of midwifery was so concerned about safety that she thought that the William Harvey in particular should be closed down." She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Here we are, almost nine years later, in a similar kind of situation. What has been happening has not worked. "I keep being surprised at how possible it is to keep being shocked about all of this, but I am shocked, that under so much scrutiny, and with so much external help, it's still the case that so much is not right. "The problems that are revealed are so fundamental that we have to do things differently." Read full story Source: BBC News, 26 May 2023
  2. News Article
    A baby has died and seven others were left requiring intensive care after a “usually mild” virus appeared to trigger a serious heart condition, health officials have said. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had been notified of an “unusual” increase in myocarditis –inflammation of the heart – among newborns in south Wales infected with an enterovirus over the past year. While enteroviruses are common and often asymptomatic, they are known to cause “occasional outbreaks in which an unusually high proportion of patients develop clinical disease, sometimes with serious and fatal consequences – in this instance myocarditis”, the UN health agency said. While prior to the recent cluster of cases, south Wales had experienced only two similar cases in six years, the 10 months to April saw 10 cases of myocarditis in babies under the age of 28 days who tested positive for enterovirus, according to WHO. Read full story Source: The Independent, 19 May 2023
  3. Content Article
    This policy paper from the Department of Health and Social Care sets out the Government’s response to the recommendations of the investigation into the death of Elizabeth Dixon in respect of the failures of care she received from the NHS.
  4. News Article
    Hundreds of babies are dying unnecessarily because overstretched maternity services are delivering substandard care and struggling to overcome entrenched poverty and racial inequalities, a report has warned. The report by baby loss charities Sands and Tommy’s says the government’s aim to halve the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in England by 2025 is stalling, while there is no target in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Stillbirths are creeping up in England after falling in the past decade. Babies dying before and during delivery rose to just over four in every 1,000 births in 2021. Similarly, long-falling rates of neonatal deaths, where newborns die within the first four weeks of birth, are also rising. There were 1.4 deaths of newborn babies for every 1,000 births in 2021, compared with 1.3 in 2020. Robert Wilson, head of the charities’ joint policy unit, said the government and NHS need to make fundamental changes. “The UK is not making enough progress to reduce rates of pregnancy loss and baby death, and there are worrying signs that these rates are now heading in the wrong direction,” he said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 14 May 2023
  5. Content Article
    In 2022 the charities Sands and Tommy’s came together to form a Joint Policy Unit. Together they are focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes. This first report from the Unit brings together a range of evidence to identify the key changes needed to save more babies’ lives and reduce inequalities in pregnancy and baby loss. None of the individual data it contains is new, but it gives decision makers a clear view of where we are now, and where action is required to make progress.
  6. News Article
    Grieving parents have been left waiting more than 14 months for answers about why their 12-day-old son died. Elijah was born at Merthyr Tydfil's Prince Charles Hospital on 25 February 2022 and died after being diagnosed with enterovirus and myocarditis. Joann and Christian Edwards said they were told they would have a report by the end of 2022, but are still waiting. Joann and Christian, from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said they were told Elijah's myocarditis was a "one off" but subsequently read about 10 babies, including one who died, getting severe enterovirus with myocarditis across south Wales. Public Health Wales (PHW) said Elijah's death was not being looked into as part of an investigation into this cluster of cases, as the dates were set at June 2022 to April 2023 to coincide with the enterovirus season. But it said it would look to include Elijah's death as part of a "wider clinical investigation" of the cases. Read full story Source: BBC News, 15 May 2023
  7. Event
    until
    Learn from Dr Bill Kirkup and other key speakers about recent National Maternity Service Reviews and how they are changing practice. Register
  8. Content Article
    Black and Asian bereaved parents whose baby died during pregnancy or shortly after birth have shared their experiences as part of the Sands Listening Project. The 56 parents who took part shone a light on care that works well, while also highlighting barriers, biases, and poor care. In the report, published by Sands, you can read more about: the findings pregnancy loss and baby deaths among Black and Asian babies in the UK real-life experiences and case studies what needs to change. Follow the link below to access the Listening Project report on the Sands website. 
  9. News Article
    A father whose baby died at six weeks after his vitamin K jab was missed has urged parents not to be taken in by misinformation spreading across social media. Alex Patto, 33, and his wife wanted their newborn son, William, to have the vitamin K jab to protect him against a rare but serious bleeding disorder known as vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). But the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge missed the jab and their firstborn child tragically passed away at six weeks old after suffering a bleed on his brain. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has completed a serious incident report and an inquest is due to take place in the coming months. Having gone through baby loss, Alex said he finds it “hard to understand” why parents would trust unverified information on social media over advice from their healthcare professional to opt into the jab. iNews previously revealed an increase in anti-vaccination misinformation on social media discouraging parents from getting the vitamin K jab for their newborn babies. The jab is a vitamin injection, not a vaccine – which are given to protect against infectious diseases – but doctors have reported videos on social media are incorrectly mislabelling it as such. Read full story Source: iNews, 23 March 2023
  10. News Article
    Staff in hospital emergency departments in England are struggling to spot when infants are being physically abused by their parents, raising the risk of further harm, an investigation has found. Clinicians often do not know what to do if they are concerned that a child’s injuries are not accidental because there is no guidance, according to a report from the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) that identifies several barriers to child safeguarding in emergency departments. Matt Mansbridge, a national investigator, said the report drew on case studies of three children who were abused by their parents, which he said were a “hard read” and a “stark reminder” of the importance of diagnosing non-accidental injuries quickly, since these are the warning sign in nearly a third of child protection cases for infants under the age of one. “For staff, these situations are fraught with complexity and exacerbated by the extreme pressure currently felt in emergency departments across the country,” Mansbridge said. He said the clinicians interviewed wanted to “see improvement and feel empowered” to ask difficult questions. “The evidence from our investigation echoes what staff and national leads told us – that emergency department staff should have access to all the relevant information about the child, their history and their level of risk, and that safeguarding support needs to be consistent and timely/ Gaps in information and long waits for advice will only create further barriers to care,” he said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 April 2023
  11. Content Article
    Clinicians in emergency departments (EDs) will see babies and young children with injuries that may be non-accidental. If the cause of such injuries is missed, there is a risk of further harm to the child. However, making a judgement about whether an injury might be accidental or not is complex and difficult. This Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) investigation explores the issues that influence the diagnosis of non-accidental injuries in infants (children under 1 year of age) who visit an ED. Specifically, it explores the information and support available to ED clinicians to help them to make such a diagnosis. Due to the nature of the subject matter no specific incident was used to explore this area of care. Instead, the investigation analysed 10 serious incident reports (reports written by NHS trusts when a serious patient safety incident occurs) to identify the factors that contribute to non-accidental injuries not being diagnosed. These factors were grouped into themes, which informed the terms of reference for the investigation.
  12. News Article
    Giving women a third scan at the end of their pregnancy could dramatically reduce the number of unexpected breech births and the risk of babies being born with severe health problems, research suggests. Pregnant women in the UK have routine scans at 12 and 20 weeks only, with no further scan offered in the third trimester unless they are considered at risk of a complicated pregnancy. The researchers hope their findings could lead to a change in guidance for clinicians that will improve maternity care. Prof Asma Khalil, who led the study at St George’s, University of London, said: “For the first time we’ve shown that just one extra scan could save mothers-to-be from trauma, an emergency C-section, and their babies from having severe health complications which could otherwise have been prevented.” She said the two routine scans were “far too early” to establish how the baby would be positioned during labour. “That’s why a third scan at 36-37 weeks could be a gamechanger to pregnancy and birth care.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 7 April 2023
  13. Content Article
    This plan from NHS England sets out how the NHS will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families. NHS England has engaged a wide range of stakeholders who supported the development of this plan. This includes women and families who have used or are using maternity and neonatal services, members of the maternity and neonatal workforce, leaders and commissioners of services, NHS systems and regional teams, and representatives from Royal Colleges, charities and other organisations.
  14. Content Article
    Poster presentation from Dr Felicity Brokke and Ken Spearpoint at the recent GOSH Patient Safety and Human Factors Conference.
  15. News Article
    Mothers and babies are being put at risk because maternity services are still providing unsafe care, despite a series of scandals that have cost lives, the NHS ombudsman has warned. More tragedies will occur unless the health service takes decisive action to put an end to repeated and deeply ingrained problems which lead to “the same mistakes over and over again”, he said. Rob Behrens, the NHS ombudsman for England, voiced his concerns when he launched a report on Tuesday which details the failings several women experienced while giving birth. It also sets out the lessons the NHS needs to learn, but Behrens claimed that too many trusts were not doing so. Behrens voiced alarm that, although efforts have been made to improve the care mothers and their children receive, progress is too slow – and that means patients remain in danger. His report says that: “We recognise that people working in maternity services want to provide high-quality care. Culture, systems and processes can get in the way of achieving that goal. “But improvements are not happening quickly enough, and we have not seen sustainable change. We must do more to make services safer for everyone.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 28 March 2023 Further reading on the hub: Patient Safety Learning - Mind the implementation gap: The persistence of avoidable harm in the NHS
  16. Content Article
    Women should be able to have confidence that they will receive safe, effective, compassionate maternity care that focuses on their individual needs. That is the experience of many people. But too many families still face care that puts the safety and wellbeing of women and babies at risk. This Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) report looks at themes from maternity complaints families have brought to us, to shine a light on their experiences and encourage others to let their voices be heard. It shares case summaries and guidance to help families complain and help NHS organisations understand the issues.
  17. Event
    Baby Lifeline has announced that their fourth annual National Maternity Safety Conference will take place on Thursday 21st September 2023 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham. Once again it will be focussing on learning together for a safer maternity future, building on the overwhelming success of the previous three conferences. Baby Lifeline is always keen to showcase best practice in healthcare and are pleased to welcome poster presentation abstracts again this year. They are particularly keen to hear about maternity service quality improvement measures which speak to one or more of the following themes: Listening to families and staff Promoting safety culture Teamworking Reducing mortality & morbidity. Register
  18. News Article
    Dilshad Sultana was 36 weeks pregnant with her second child in 2019 when she experienced stomach pain and noticed her baby was moving less. Mrs Sultana, from Sutton Coldfield, said she had been due to have a Caesarean section on 8 July but on 20 June she started to feel pain in her abdomen and lower back. She said she was confused but that it did not feel like a contraction and called hospital staff at about 17:00 to say it felt like her baby was moving less. After following advice to rest and take pain relief, she attended hospital at about 22:30 and staff started monitoring Shanto's heart rate. It was not until almost three hours later that Shanto was delivered by emergency C-Section. Shanto suffered severe brain damage and would spent the next 22 days in intensive care, suffering seizures and multiple brain haemorrhages. Shanto now requires around-the-clock care and Mrs Sultana enlisted lawyers to pursue a care of medical negligence against the trust. Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust has admitted liability and made a voluntary interim payment allowing the family to move to a new home specifically adapted to meet Shanto's extensive care, therapy and equipment needs. Fiona Reynolds, the chief medical officer, said: "We'd like to offer our heartfelt apologies again to the family. "It's clear the standard of care we offered to them fell below those required and expected. For this, we are truly sorry." Now, Mrs Sultana is campaigning for change - she wants to see mothers listened to in maternity care and more attention paid to monitoring babies' heart rates. Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 March 2023
  19. News Article
    A terminally ill mother says she was "horrified" after she was handed her baby's remains in a supermarket carrier bag by NHS officials. Lydia Reid's son Gary was a week old when he died in 1975. She later discovered his organs had been removed for tests without her permission and only received them last month after almost 50 years of campaigning. The 74-year-old, told BBC Scotland she was visited last month by the head of NHS Lothian as well as another senior NHS official. "I thought they were coming to help me sign some papers. When they arrived I noticed one of them was carrying a Sainsbury's carrier bag," Ms Reid said. "Then they said they wanted to complete the list of body parts in case anything had been missed out. She handed me the Sainsbury's bag and said she wanted me to check them now." Inside the carrier bag was a six-inch box containing body parts preserved in wax. "I was so shocked and said 'How dare you. That is the only parts of my son and you want to hand them to me in a carrier bag. "I was absolutely horrified. She said she didn't realise it would be a problem." Tracey Gillies, medical director for NHS Lothian said: "I would like to repeat publicly the apology we made to Ms Reid in person for the upset and distress this has caused. Ms Reid has been a leading figure in the Scottish campaign to expose how hospitals unlawfully retained dead children's body parts for research. Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 March 2023
  20. News Article
    A woman was denied the chance to have children with her husband after a contraceptive coil was accidentally left in place for 29 years. Jayne Huddleston, from Crewe, had eight rounds of fertility treatment she did not need because the correct checks were not carried out by her doctor. She said the mistake happened in 1990. "The GP said it couldn't be seen, so I was sent for a scan and the scan didn't pick anything up, the GP recommended another coil was fitted," she told the BBC. She was told the coil she had fitted around a year earlier had probably fallen out. When she and her husband, David, then decided they wanted to have a child, the second coil was removed, but the first coil, which had gone undetected, remained inside her. They tried for years to have a baby, with no success, including IVF treatment which cost them thousands of pounds. The mistake was only discovered when she went for an X-ray in 2019 after complaining of back pain and the original coil was revealed. Mr and Mrs Huddleston were awarded a six-figure out of court settlement after taking their case to Irwin Mitchell solicitors. Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 March 2023
  21. Content Article
    In this Guardian article, Sarah Kendell describes her experience of maternity care in Australia, highlighting the stark difference in care offered before and after a woman has given birth. She says "at the most difficult transition of our lives–after childbirth–the healthcare system leaves us to fend for ourselves," and argues that the impact this can have on the health and wellbeing of women and their babies needs to be considered. She asks whether reallocating some resource from antenatal care to postnatal care would produce health benefits for new mothers and babies.
  22. News Article
    A new US study highlights a striking racial disparity in infant deaths: Black babies experienced the highest rate of sudden unexpected deaths (SIDS) in 2020, dying at almost three times the rate of White infants. The findings were part of research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also found a 15% increase in sudden infant deaths among babies of all races from 2019 to 2020, making SIDS the third leading cause of infant death in the United States after congenital abnormalities and the complications of premature birth. “In minority communities, the rates are going in the wrong direction,” said Scott Krugman, vice chair of the department of pediatrics and an expert on SIDS at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. The study found that rising SIDS rates in 2020 was likely attributable to diagnostic shifting — or reclassifying the cause of death. The causes of the rise in sleep-related deaths of Black infants remain unclear but it coincided with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, which disproportionately affected the health and wealth of Black communities. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Washington Post, 13 March 2023
  23. News Article
    A couple whose baby died after he was starved of oxygen during a home birth are campaigning for risky breech deliveries to be spotted earlier. Arthur Trott was an undiagnosed breech baby, born after a planned home birth in Burgess Hill on 24 May 2021. A breech delivery is when a baby's bottom or feet will emerge first. An inquest into his death found a delay in transfer to hospital "materially contributed" to his brain injury. The South East Coast Ambulance Service Trust said it welcomed "any changes to national breech birth guidance". Arthur's parents believe a breakdown in communication between the paramedics who attended and their control room meant Mrs Trott was kept at home too long. Arthur's father, Matt Trott, said: "You could hear the panic and confusion in everyone's voices. One minute they were told to go to hospital, the next minute to stay." As a result of Arthur's death, all planned home births in Sussex are being offered a presentation scan at 38 weeks. Read full story Source: BBC News, 14 March 2023
  24. News Article
    Bereaved families are having to report maternity blunders because watchdogs and hospitals are unable to spot failings, an expert has warned. Bill Kirkup said avoidable deaths were "a badge of shame" but would continue without urgent change. Eight years on from his report into the Morecambe Bay maternity scandal, he said the failure of officials to act had needlessly cost more lives. "I am very disappointed – and surprised – that we're still where we are", he said. "That's a terrible badge of shame for the health service that it takes families to come and tell us what's wrong. "Yet just about every tragedy that I've ever been involved with investigating has come to light when there's a group of families who say 'You've got a problem here'. "People are lying, they're not being open and they're concealing what's happening. "If we can't bring this change, I'm not confident that there won't be another East Kent, Morecambe Bay or Nottingham, somewhere else." Read full story Source: Mail Online, 10 March 2023
  25. News Article
    A surgeon who may have infected two new mothers with herpes has been granted anonymity during the inquests into their deaths in an "unprecedented" ruling. Coroner Catherine Wood said she made the decision because the surgeon's "apprehension" about being named when he stands as a witness would "likely impede his evidence in court" and affect his health. Mid Kent and Medway Coroners is investigating the cases of Kimberly Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, who both died in 2018 after the same obstetrician conducted their caesareans. They were treated 6 weeks apart in hospitals run by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust (EKHUT). On February 26 – the day before the inquest was due to begin and 16 months after it was first announced – EKHUT made a last-minute bid for anonymity covering the surgeon and a midwife also involved in both cases. The trust said they should not be named unless the inquest concluded they had passed on the infection, because of the "reputational damage" they would suffer, and because the surgeon's health was already being impacted by reports. Read full story Source: Medscape, 9 March 2023
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