Midwife denies epidural blunder

Mrs Cabrera's son survived

A midwife has told an inquest she did not mistakenly give an epidural anaesthetic intravenously to a new mother who later died.

Marie To was caring for Mayra Cabrera, a Filipino theatre nurse, as she gave birth to son Zac at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

The 30-year-old suffered a fatal heart attack less than three hours after her son's birth.

Her son survived, the hearing was told. The inquest continues.

Policy required

It was discovered after Mrs Cabrera's death that a bag of Bupivacaine fluid had been wrongly administered via a drip into her hand.

Giving evidence to the inquest at Trowbridge on Monday, Ms To said she was certain she had not administered Bupivacaine intravenously.

Ms To claimed that, following the delivery, Dr Gourab Misra had told her to put some saline solution up in a drip if Mrs Cabrera's blood pressure fell.

But, according to Ms To, she suggested using gelafusin, a blood volume expander to boost blood pressure, and the doctor agreed.

Ms To said she had intended to ask Dr Misra to double-check the bag of fluid as policy required, but that this never happened as he was out of the room when she put it up.

In a police statement afterwards, Ms To said: "To my knowledge and belief I did not administer this drug."

Mr Masters asked her: "Who do you believe did administer it, then?" She said: "I don't know."

Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust has admitted liability for the error. The hearing continues.