Severe failings in English maternity wards: 'If the hospital had acted faster, my daughter would still be alive'

Grave deficiencies in a northern England maternity unit have been detailed in a damning report, with experts warning that such failings are not isolated. The report follows the death of a baby whose mother, Sarah Andrews, alleges that quicker action by the hospital could have saved her daughter's life.

Andrews recounted her experience, stating that hospital staff told her to stay home when her contractions began in September 2019. Three days later, in severe pain, she went to Nottingham Hospital. There, she received aromatherapy and was sent home again. It was only on Saturday, six days after her labor started, that she was admitted. She described being placed in a dark room without care for 24 hours, and her repeated attempts to alert staff about a foul-smelling discharge and her exhaustion went unheeded.

On Sunday morning, an examination of the baby's heart rate and contractions was finally conducted. However, Andrews claims the results were misinterpreted. The report underscores a pattern of inadequate care and delayed responses, leading to tragic outcomes. The article suggests that these issues extend beyond this single unit, indicating a wider problem within English maternity services.

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On m’a donné de l’aromathérapie et on m’a renvoyée chez moi.