Clinical negligence news
15/02/2011

Parents' compensation for baby's death

A Hull couple have been awarded clinical negligence compensation by a hospital where their new-born son died as a result of delays in diagnosing that his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck six times, causing his heart rate to slow.

The maternity unit at Hull Women and Children's Hospital was accused of having "serious failings" over the birth injury in November 2006.

The mother was inappropriately monitored after she arrived at the unit and the baby's distress was not detected. The boy was delivered with forceps more than five hours later suffering from an extremely low heart rate.

Despite his condition, doctors failed to send the baby to the neonatal specialist treatment unit for two hours, and he died 17 hours later from complications arising from his birth.

An independent expert, who was consulted by a solicitor on behalf of the parents, said the labour was grossly mismanaged from the outset and that the mother had received an appalling level of care.

The chief executive of Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust apologised unreservedly to the family and said there were no excuses for the serious failings which occurred.

The amount of the clinical negligence settlement was not disclosed.