Report on Cwm Taf maternity services says one in three babies may have lived

A review has found that one in three babies stillborn at two hospitals might have survived had it not been for serious mistakes.

 

The Independent Maternity Oversight Panel found major failings in 21 of 63 cases at Merthyr Tydfil’s Prince Charles and Llantrisant’s Royal Glamorgan hospitals.

 

Greg Dix, health board nursing and midwifery executive director, said “We will never forget the tragedies suffered by women, their families and our staff, and the learning from these cases is the foundation on which we are building our improvement plans.”

 

He went on to say “We understand how difficult revisiting this experience will be for many families but hope that the information contained in our response to these reports helps reassure our communities that we have earned from past events.”

 

The health board said it had introduced more robust reviews of cases of stillbirths, better support for grieving families and enhanced training of staff.

 

The panel said that although the pace of improvements had been impaired by the pandemic, the health board’s maternity services had kept its head above water, adding that of 70 recommendations for improvement, 55 had been implemented, an increase of five in the last year.  Fifteen are yet to be put in place.

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s team of medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record.  The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of medical negligence.  He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in medical negligence claims.  Tony also acts as a Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled.  Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk.  Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no win, no fee solicitors for free legal advice on Freephone 0800 304 7382