Faulty scanning equipment failed to show woman was pregnant
Blizzard warning issued for walkers
A HEALTH board has been criticised after faulty scanning equipment failed to show a woman had conceived while undergoing fertility treatment, leading to her having further treatment which she claimed “destroyed” her baby.
The woman was undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment at Monklands Infertility Unit in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, in 2011.
A report by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Jim Martin, revealed the woman, who was referred to as Mrs C, had undergone five cycles of fertility treatment, in August 2011.
During her fifth cycle the woman had conceived, but this failed to show up on ultrasound scans, on August 23, 30 and 31, 2011, so she went in for a sixth IUI treatment on September 1, 2011.
During the procedure Mrs C experienced unusual pain and discomfort. The associate specialist fertility nurse stopped the proce- dure and restarted a few minutes later. The nurse then managed to complete the IUI procedure. Mrs C experienced bleeding the following weekend and attended Wishaw General Hospital.
She was reviewed by a doctor on September 6, who noted bleeding and abdominal cramps. An ultrasound scan was undertaken on September 13, which showed the first signs of pregnancy.
Further scans were carried out but it was confirmed she had miscarried. Mrs C said that, due to the failure to detect her pregnancy, she lost a viable pregnancy and possibly has lost the opportunity to conceive in the future.
Mr Martin said: “She believed this resulted in the pregnancy being destroyed during a sixth cycle of treatment”.
He upheld t he woman’s complaint that the scanner was “not of a reasonable standard”.
Mr Martin found a consultant, and gynaecology adviser had expressed concerns about the quality of images produced by the scan- ner. He said: “The management of the unit was well aware of the problems and that the scanner had since been replaced. The board contends the scanner was of a reasonable standard but the images produced were clearly not fit for purpose.
“I’m concerned that, despite being aware of the concerns expressed by the consultant and the sister about the quality of the images produced by the scanner, the board did not replace the scanner until it came due f or replacement.”
The woman also complained that hospital staff should have noticed her pregnancy, but Mr Martin did not uphold this complaint, citing the scanning equipment as being at fault.
A spokeswoman for NHS Lanarkshire said: “We have fully accepted the recommendations contained within the Ombudsman’s report and will be writing to the complainant with our sincere apologies. We will also be developing an action plan to ensure that we learn from her experiences.”. FORECASTERS have warned hill walkers not to be caught out over the next few days as they predict severe blizzards on higher ground.
This week’s sunny spell is expected to turn wintry from tomorrow, with snow forecast on the mountains.
Wind gusts of up to 80mph could make conditions very hazardous for walkers, the Met Office said.
Chief forecaster Martin Young said: “Although we are well into May, we will see some very difficult conditions on the mountains, especially on Thursday.
“On the tops of the mountains in Scotland we could see winds gusting up to 80mph, giving blizzard conditions in the snow and making things very hazardous.
“Wh e t h e r it is a pre-planned expedition or a spur-of-the-moment decision to head off, it is vital to check the mountain forecasts on the Met Office website.”
BobKinnaird, of Glenmore Lodge, the Scottish National Outdoor Training Centre, said: “Although it’s not that unusual to encounter winter conditions on the Scottish hills at this time of year, this is a very severe forecast for the high tops.
“While this still leaves plenty of options to enjoy the hills, careful consideration should be given to planning and route choice.”
The Met Office s ai d conditions were expected to improve over the weekend.