Trust apologises over baby death

The hospital trust apologised to Mr and Mrs Last over their daughter's death

A hospital has apologised to a Greater Manchester mother who lost her baby after a midwife misread vital scans showing the child was in distress.

Tracy Last, from Chadderton, was admitted to Royal Oldham hospital after going into labour on 19 October 2007.

Mrs Last underwent standard checks but unbeknown to her and her husband, a midwife misread a trace used to monitor the baby's heart rate during labour.

A hospital spokeswoman accepted care fell below expected standards.

Medical negligence

The midwife misinterpreted the reading as being "reassuring" when it was "non-reassuring" on repeated occasions and the findings were not acted upon.

The error was compounded by the doctor on duty failing to spot the problems revealed by the trace when he checked an hour before the couple's daughter was born lifeless.

An inquest at Oldham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday heard that the baby was delivered through forceps with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a narrative verdict that the child died of perinatal asphyxia during labour.

The couple are now taking legal action against Pennine Acute NHS Trust which runs the hospital, in a claim for medical negligence.

'Tragic loss'

Their solicitor, Jenny Urwin, said if Mrs Last had had a Caesarean section sooner their daughter Olivia may not have died.

Cathy Trinick, head of midwifery at the hospital trust, said: "We would again offer our sincere condolences and apology to Olivia's family.

"Olivia's death is a tragic loss and of great sadness to her family. The clinical team and the trust share that loss and sadness.

"The trust accepts the coroner's findings that some of the care afforded to Mrs Last during the late morning and early afternoon of 20 October 2007 fell below the standard expected by our patients and their families.

"A number of steps have already been taken and changes made to our procedures to ensure, where possible, such incidents are prevented from happening again."