NHS carelessness causes tragic death of baby

A family has decided to take legal action against the NHS believing that staff at Darlington Memorial Hospital in Durham, UK had made mistakes.

Mother, Louise Davies, 28 had been suffering from severe abdominal pains during her pregnancy and had been given an appointment for a thorough check-up and scan at the hospital. However, when she had arrived for her appointment, the staff at the hospital were unaware of the reason to why she had an appointment and underwent a brief check-up. She was sent home after claiming it was not serious. The next day, Louise had found that the baby, Callum had suddenly stopped moving and was advised by the hospital to take a bath. Yet then the baby had not moved after the bath, Louise rushed to hospital where a midwife checked the heartbeat of the baby claiming it was fine. Moments later, a doctor carried out a check-up and had confirmed that the baby was in fact dead.

Louise said: “I can’t help but ask questions about what could have been done differently. However, you put your trust in medical staff, as they are the experts. If they tell you it’s nothing and that you should just have a bath, then that’s what you do. When it was eventually confirmed to me my baby was dead, they said it would take two days to deliver him. There were no bereavement counsellors available and I was left on the post- natal ward for five days, two of these with Callum, surrounded by other women and babies. It was extremely distressing.”

Mr and Ms Davies are now seeking to file a medical negligence claim against the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust for the tragic death of baby Callum Christopher Davies- Parkinson.