Brief
Two Midwives Struck Off After Pregnant Woman Waited 37 Minutes, Baby Dies
An NMC panel concluded that delayed assessment and staffing failures at King's Mill Hospital contributed to a newborn's death.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Two midwives have been removed from the register after a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel found that a bleeding pregnant woman was left waiting nearly 40 minutes for assessment at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton‑in‑Ashfield, leading to the death of her baby, the Independent reported.
The woman, who was 41 weeks pregnant, arrived at the maternity unit in the early hours of 13 September 2023 with vaginal bleeding. She had previously been sent home after an earlier visit and called the hospital again after midnight, being told to return. The telephone triage midwife informed Glenys Wood and Kathryn Duignan that the patient was bleeding but did not update the system. Despite no other patients in triage, the woman waited 37 minutes before being seen.
Miss Duignan was in charge of the triage team that night, and the NMC report highlighted chronic understaffing in the maternity department. Wood, the only Band 7 maternity ward coordinator on duty, placed the woman in a side room without triaging her, expecting a colleague to do so. When the colleague arrived, she assessed the patient at 01:42 am, noting an immediate medical emergency. During this period, Wood went on a break, leaving a sign that read “gone for a break, back in 30”.
The baby died of a brain injury caused by placental abruption, a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. An inquest in July 2024 concluded that neglect contributed to the death and that, had the mother been seen on arrival, a Caesarean would likely have been performed by 01:25 am rather than 02:02 am, which could have saved the baby. The panel also found that staff failed to respond to requests for help from the patient’s family.
Key facts
- Two midwives were struck off after a NMC panel found they failed to assess a bleeding pregnant woman promptly. (independent.co.uk)
- The woman waited 37 minutes before being assessed, despite being told she was bleeding. (independent.co.uk)
- An inquest ruled that earlier assessment could have led to a Caesarean that might have saved the baby. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Bleeding pregnant woman lost baby after waiting nearly 40 minutes”
