Hospital ‘let us down’

THE parents of a baby girl who died aged just three days old say they were let down by hospital staff who ‘disregarded’ NHS guidelines by postponing plans for her to be born on Christmas Day.

Natalie Powell, 38, was due to go into hospital to have her baby induced on December 25, 2011 – when she was two weeks overdue – but she says on Christmas Eve midwives changed the appointment to a check up, delaying the birth.

On Boxing Day Natalie went into labour naturally and was admitted to the midwife-led unit at Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax, rather than the central labour ward where women who are overdue would normally be closely monitored.

Staff did not detect a change in Poppy’s heart rate and she wasn’t breathing when she was born. The newborn was put on a ventilator but Natalie and husband Nicholas had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off the life support three days later.

After being urged by their GP to order a post mortem, Natalie and Nicholas launched a legal investigation her death.

The case has now been settled out of court for an undisclosed fivefigure sum but Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust did not admit liability at any stage.

Hospital bosses say that in 2011 staff did not use ultrasound scanning during holiday periods except for in emergencies – but this policy has since changed.

Since Poppy’s death Natalie, a psychologist, and Nicholas, a Poppy Powell was just three days old when she died at Calderdale Royal Hospital, West Yorkshire, on December 29, 2011. Her parents Natalie and Nicholas, from Littleborough, say they were let down by the hospital probation officer, have had two healthy children, who are now aged two and three.

“Losing Poppy was the hardest thing I’ve had to face in my life,” said Natalie.

She explained that throughout her pregnancy she had been deemed low risk, but the further she went past her due date the more worried she became.

NHS guidelines state that medics should offer woman an induction before their pregnancy reaches 42 weeks as the risk of stillbirth and other complications increase beyond this.

Natalie had been originally booked to be induced at 8am on Christmas morning when she was exactly two weeks overdue, but this was cancelled and switched to a monitoring appointment instead.

The couple, who live Littleborough, Rochdale, hope lessons can be learned from Poppy’s death and are calling for a review of NHS guidelines and holiday resources to prevent anything like this happening again.

Both Natalie and Nicholas argue that if the NHS isn’t going to apply its own guidelines consistently across its NHS Trusts, then any departures should only be undertaken with senior medical input, appropriate

planning and ensuring that safety net resources are in place.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust’s head of midwifery Anne-Marie Henshaw said: “I would like to offer my sincere condolences and apologies to Dr and Mr Powell for the loss of their baby Poppy.

“We are absolutely committed to delivering the safest care to mothers and babies across all of our maternity units.

“Women labour and birth 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so to ensure safe care the number of midwives and obstetricians working is the same during any holiday period as at any other time.

“Dr Powell gave birth to Poppy in 2011 and at that time ultrasound scanning was only available over the holiday periods in emergency situations.

“Since then, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has begun a programme to train midwife and doctor ultrasonographers who will provide an extended local service.

“If Dr and Mr Powell have any outstanding questions they feel they would like to discuss, we would always be happy to meet with them.”