THE FORGOTTEN MUM

FEATURE

THE FORGOTTEN MUM

THE SHREWSBURY AND TELFORD HOSPITAL MATERNITY SCANDAL

Shrewsbury Hospital

As most of you will be aware, in 2017 Jeremy Hunt (Health Secretary at the time) commissioned a review into 23 baby deaths at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. This review has grown exponentially in the last few years and now encompasses 1,862 families.

There has been a huge focus in the media on the Donna Ockenden review into the number of babies stillborn or who die in the hours or days after their birth. There are also a large number of children who have suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the care provided at or around the time of their birth.

This is a tragedy beyond words or comprehension. This should have been one of the happiest times of these families’ lives but instead they are left devastated.

In all of this, however, Mum is often forgotten.

The Clinical Negligence team at Lanyon Bowdler are currently representing over 100 families in maternity claims against the Trust. Of these claims, just under 20% relate solely to the injuries Mum has suffered during the labour or delivery of her child. These injuries may be physical, psychiatric or more often than not, both. Heartbreakingly, there are also cases where Mum has died before ever being able to hold her baby.

As any parent will know, the moment you have your first child, is the moment when your needs are forever secondary to the bundle of joy in your arms. Having been reassured by medical professionals that the symptoms they are reporting are normal post-delivery, these women put their own needs aside and focus on being the best mum possible.

However, I have a number of cases where these injuries aren’t ‘normal’. It is common for a first-time Mum to suffer some sort of tear or graze during a vaginal delivery, or require an episiotomy (essentially a cut to make the opening wider). Most of the time these tears, which can vary in severity cannot be avoided. However, I have cases where a tear was caused by failings in the use of forceps.

The majority of the time when a woman tears during childbirth, the key thing is ensuring that the tear is properly assessed, graded and repaired.

I have a number of cases where the tear has been incorrectly diagnosed as a lower degree tear and therefore the repair performed was not sufficient. In the most severe cases, women can then suffer from lifelong faecal incontinence as a result. Whilst secondary repair surgery is possible, the success rates aren’t that high.

As well as physical injuries, women can suffer psychiatric injuries as a result of the traumatic birth or the loss of their baby. Women should be offered support. However, they consistently report the feeling of being abandoned post the death of their child with no bereavement counselling offered.

In some circumstances, the Trust’s actions have been far worse than not offering support. At times the attitude towards these grieving mums has been abhorrent. Mums have been blamed for the loss or injury to their child and the guilt that these women have carried with them as a result is unimaginable.

In the immediate aftermath of their baby’s death, Mums describe the horror of being put on the postnatal wards with other Mums and their babies. The new-born cry, a constant reminder of their loss.

The true extent of the maternity scandal at the Trust continues to unfold but my plea is that we do not forget the mums in all this and ensure they get the support needed.

Beth Heath

Beth Heath is Partner – Head of Clinical/ Medical Negligence Team at Lanyon Bowdler solicitors