A new research study conducted by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has found that three in every four babies considered in the study may have had a different outcome had they received different care.
The report looked at more than 700 recent neonatal deaths and injuries and outlined how to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The report, titled “Each Baby Counts”, has recommended that:
- All low-risk women are assessed on admission in labour to see what foetal monitoring is needed
- Staff should receive annual training on interpreting baby heart-rate traces (CTGs)
- A senior member of staff must maintain oversight of the activity on the delivery suite
- All trusts and health boards should inform the parents of any local review taking place and invite them to contribute
Elizabeth Wickson, a solicitor at Medical Accident Group, said: “CTG monitoring is such a crucial indicator when assessing the well-being of a baby during labour and is often essential in determining when the safest point to deliver the baby is.
“It is therefore very concerning to see that one of the main recommendations made following the study was for more training in the interpretation of these results, after it was noted that staff experienced problems with understanding and processing the interpretation of these heart-rate patterns.
“Failure to deliver a baby at the right time can lead to devastating consequences and it is therefore essential that all staff required to interpret CTG results are adequately trained in this area, to reduce the number of babies being put at risk.”
If you or a loved one have suffered an injury as a result of substandard care from the NHS, Medical Accident Group can help. Our experienced and dedicated team, whose knowledge of clinical negligence and personal injury law is extensive, can support you through the process of making a claim and seeking justice.
We can advise on issues from brain injury or birth injury to surgical and medical errors and accidents at work. Call us free on 0800 050 1668.
