Specialist guidance on making a maternity claim
We specialise in helping victims of medical negligence make a maternity claim. Contact our free legal helpline for a review of your case and details of how we can help you on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.
Maternity negligence is a significant problem within the NHS, with avoidable harm causing heart-breaking devastation to families throughout England and Wales every year.
A recent report, commissioned by charity Baby Lifeline, looked at maternity training in over 100 NHS Trusts. It concluded that although training is vital for improving safety in maternity services, due to chronic underfunding and staff shortages critical gaps in training have arisen. Worryingly, these gaps have been severely exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19.
Virtually all maternity services felt there were barriers to providing training, with the pandemic being the most frequently cited reason for inadequate training. In response to Covid-19 much training has gone online, but this has impacted on the levels of interactive team-training as a result. Other reasons given were a lack of equipment and qualified trainers, staff shortages and venue restrictions.
The researchers found that although heart disease is the leading cause of death in mothers, only 29% of organisations provided training in how to manage it. And while epilepsy and stroke were the second most common cause of death in mothers, just one in ten organisations provide training in how to manage these conditions.
The risks posed to mothers with co-morbidities was particularly highlighted, accounting for two thirds of maternal deaths.
Lawyer Oliver Thorne, who specialises in maternity claims and has been actively involved in campaigning for improved safety standards in maternity units, welcomed the report’s findings and echoed the call for better training.
If you have suffered harm as a result of negligence and would like guidance on making a maternity claim then contact Oliver today for a free review of the compensation you could be entitled to receive.