Midwife accused of scores of errors

A MIDWIFE has been accused of scores of errors including claims she failed to properly care for mothers before, during and after a number of births.

Louise Kennedy faces a total of 61 charges of misconduct which are said to have occurred in Dundee between June 2016 and January 2018. Watchdog, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), says her alleged misconduct, if found proven, would be “dishonest”.

It is understood Ms Kennedy was working for the NHS Tayside when the alleged misconduct took place.

In September 2016, Ms Kennedy is said to have failed to record a stillbirth, and to have failed to record vital data related to the baby and the welfare of the mother. That same month, she is alleged to have failed to give a new mum “appropriate” pain relief or to get consent to examine her intimately following the birth of her baby. Ms Kennedy is also accused of failing to document the baby’s heartbeat during labour, and to have recorded the fundal height – the size of the mother’s uterus – in weeks, rather than the correct unit of centimetres.

She is then said to have wrongly transferred the woman to the antenatal ward – rather than the postnatal ward – following the birth.

On a third occasion in that same month, in relation to another patient, Ms Kennedy is accused of carrying out a review of her condition without a valid training certificate.

Ms Kennedy is also accused of failing to get consent to intimately inspect two women after they gave birth.

The NMC placed restrictions on Ms Kennedy’s ability to practice as a midwife while under investigation.

It claims she breached those restrictions by providing midwifery services without being directly supervised by a registered midwife.

Ms Kennedy, of Cupar, claims online to work for both the NHS and midwifery agency Private Midwives.