BLUNDER MIDWIFE LANDS COLLEGE TRAINING JOB
Lecturing role for ex-nurse banned after basic mistakes
AMIDWIFE who failed to spot a new mum was haemorrhaging blood is now teaching trainees.
The woman, now lecturing at City of Glasgow College, was described as having ‘ poor clinical skills.’
A MIDWIFE who failed to spot a new mum was at risk of bleeding to death amid a catalogue of “basic mistakes” is now teaching trainees at a Glasgow college.
Denise Hughes, an experienced midwife, did not realise that the woman was suffering a post partum haemorrhage, and was also unable to perform basic nursing tasks including using a needle and syringe to administer drugs.
A manager was forced to step in and told a nursing inquiry: “The room was chaotic with the patient still on the bed with bloody sheets and instruments lying around in a non-sterile environment.”
The incident happened at Ayrshire Maternity Unit at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.
In a statement NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s director of nursing Hazel Borland apologised to the patient involved in the incident and said the midwife had failed to provide a “high standard of care”.
Concerns about the midwife’s skills had been raised by her employers two years previously when she admitted she didn’t feel confident about delivering a baby alone. The midwife, who now teaches at City of Glasgow College, was described as having “poor clinical skills”.
At a hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Ms Hughes admitted a catalogue of care errors including being unable to use a syringe properly and administer drugs to start labour.
She resigned from her job days after the incidents to take up a lecturing post at the college, which according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council: “Does not require midwifery skills.”
She has now been hit with a sixmonth ban on practising as a midwife, following a hearing.
The midwife was working as a Band 6 rotational midwife at the time of the most serious incident, on September 7, 2016, which is the second level of seniority after “newly qualified”.
Concerns were raised about her skills in 2014 after she admitted that she did not feel confident delivering a baby alone and she was given additional training.
She was transferred to a recovery unit but returned to the labour ward and concerns about her competence were raised again.
Staff reported that she was unable to administer intravenous fluids and that she panicked during an emergency and was unable to break a woman’s membranes to facilitate labour.
A meeting was held last February where other staff expressed concern that her “competence in the clinical setting was poor”, and she was put on a supported plan.
Matters came to a head when Ms Hughes failed to spot that a woman was haemorrhaging and at risk of suffering organ failure.
Tania Jakab, a former midwife based in Glasgow, said: “What I don’t understand is how she managed to qualify in the first place with those lack of basic skills.
“She would have had oral and practical exams during each stage at university of her development, knowledge and ability.
“How she passed her course and then gained employment seems like a huge oversight from her tutors and the midwifery management.”
A spokeswoman for City of Glasgow College confirmed that Ms Hughes was employed as a lecturer.
Hazel Borland, director of nursing at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: “Following concerns about a member of staff, NHS Ayrshire and Arran conducted an internal investigation into the clinical practice of a midwife who previously worked in Ayrshire Maternity Unit.
“At that time our management team made a referral to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
“As a result this person, who has not worked for our organisation since 2016, has now been suspended from the NMC register.
“We would like to offer our sincere apologies to women affected by this individual’s failure to provide the high standards of care we strive to provide.”