Baby dying as a consequence of maternity failure, says mum | NESMAG

A mom whose son died three weeks after being born at a Swansea hospital has stated he would nonetheless be alive if the care they obtained had been higher.

Rachel Kemble’s son Farai was born by emergency Caesarean part at Singleton Hospital maternity unit in June 2013, however she stated a failure to do an suggested scan led to an absence of oxygen to his mind.

She is a part of a gaggle of households calling for a assessment of Swansea Bay University Health Board’s maternity companies to be scrapped and restarted.

The well being board stated “no breach of care” was recognized in Ms Kemble’s case and the Welsh authorities stated it was “seeking assurance” that “meaningful engagement” with households would occur.

Dozens of Welsh mother and father spent years campaigning for a assessment into failings within the maternity unit.

But eight months after it was launched, they’ve stated they really feel ignored, with nobody from the assessment having contacted them.

“It makes me sad, it makes me angry and I’m always sitting here thinking ‘what if’,” stated Ms Kemble.

“In September he would have been starting comprehensive school. ‘’ve got five kids, but I’ve got four that are living and it’s just not right.”

When the 44-year-old from Swansea went to the hospital at 38 weeks pregnant, she was informed she would get a scan to find out her child’s place.

But the physician who did her inner examination determined to proceed along with her labour with out the scan.

Two days later, she was rushed to have an emergency Caesarean as a consequence of a drop in her child’s heartbeat – which confirmed up on a scan that additionally recognized he was within the breech place, which means he was mendacity backside first, fairly than head first.

She was later informed the physician had mistakenly felt her son’s backside, however believed it to be his head, which means the infant had spent two days not getting oxygen to his mind.

Farai took practically two minutes to take his first breath and, within the particular care child unit, had a number of well being issues together with mind harm and epilepsy, requiring tubes for respiratory and feeding.

“I never heard him cry,” stated Ms Kemble.

“I believe if they had scanned me when they had started me off, they would have known he was breach and he’d still be here today.”

The household stayed at Tŷ Hafan in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan – a hospice charity for kids – within the last days of Farai’s life.

But Ms Kemble stated the total affect of the trauma that they had skilled solely hit about 18 months later.

“The first thing I did after I got back from Tŷ Hafan was I took his cot down. I did it on my own,” she stated.

“I suffered PTSD, depression, anxiety. I still suffer today.

“I could not be round infants or pregnant girls for some time. I’m solely now getting again on my ft after 11 years.”

She added all of her children needed counselling, but one of her daughters particularly suffered, not wanting to share her feelings in case she upset her mum.

Ms Kemble sought legal advice, but was told the hospital said she had been on a care plan – the regular procedure.

“But the care plan did not happen till they came upon the infant was breech and the issue occurred earlier than that,” she stated.

“The damage had already been done.”

She added: “The hospital just brushed it under the carpet, it was like he was just another number.”

Although she was sad with the hospital’s communication along with her, she stated the care her son obtained was glorious.

“I was getting given bits of information but I couldn’t put things together… I’d just come round from a C-section, I couldn’t think straight. I felt like I was a robot, just going through the motions.”

She stated within the labour ward she “had to wait and wait” to be seen, however added: “My son was looked after lovely though, in the special care baby unit they made him feel comfortable, they made sure I was involved.”

She stated some workers from the unit attended Farai’s funeral and wrote her a letter of condolence, however she “had nothing off the hospital itself”.

Meeting different households with comparable experiences was comforting, stated Ms Kemble, but additionally heart-breaking.

“In a way I feel relieved because I can relate with some people and they can understand how I feel and we can talk,” she stated.

“The pain stays with you for the rest of your life, but you just learn to live with it.

“But the primary factor is Singleton Hospital wants to vary. I simply don’t need anyone else going by means of what I’ve.”

Rob and Sian Channon, whose son Gethin suffered a brain injury which left him quadriplegic, have been leading the families in the fight to get their stories heard, and described the review process as “a little bit of a rip-off”.

“Not a single household from our group has been contacted to have their case checked out,” said Mr Channon.

“[We] have been utterly shut out.”

Margaret Bowron KC, who was chairing the review, stood down in June following criticism.

She was replaced by interim chairwoman, Dr Denise Chaffe, who apologised for the delays and insisted there was a “dedication to maneuver ahead” and to “work carefully with households”.

Donna Ockenden, chairwoman of two of the NHS’s biggest maternity reviews, said listening to families was the “solely manner ahead”.

“The accounts from these households are deeply distressing,” she said.

She said a “very giant variety of well being boards” were struggling with maternity resources.

“I believe that when one thing goes unsuitable, because it clearly has at Swansea Bay, the very first step must be to interact households within the course of.

“The families have clearly articulated that they do not have any confidence whatsoever in this current review.”

She added there was precedent for failing evaluations to be closed, and backed the households’ requires this to occur.

Swansea Bay well being board stated it had investigated and offered “a comprehensive response” when contacted by Ms Kemble’s solicitor and “no breach of care was identified”.

It added: “We understand the families’ strength of feeling, and we all want the same outcome – to have a maternity and neonatal service which is the best it can be.

“The assessment is now beneath manner, with letters to be issued to households shortly inviting them to return ahead to present their views.”

The Welsh government said it would be “in search of ongoing assurance that the well being board is constructively supporting the assessment course of and robustly responding to any rising issues and studying as a precedence”.

“It is important that this assessment has significant engagement with households and workers,” it said.

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, First Minister Eluned Morgan said she had written to the health board “to require them to ensure that they do contain the households”, but she thought it was “vital we enable that system to run”.