Hospital reported over baby death

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A coroner is reporting Milton Keynes Hospital to the Department of Health over the death of a newborn baby.

Doctors ignored the midwives' concerns and failed to notice the baby was in danger and needed to be delivered immediately, an inquest heard.

Romy Feast died less than an hour after she was delivered at Milton Keynes General Hospital by Caesarean section.

Deputy coroner Thomas Osborne, sitting at Milton Keynes, criticised a series of "system and communication failures".

A Healthcare Commission report into maternity services last month rated the hospital as "least well performing", the lowest rating in the region.

Mr Osborne said that a Caesarean section should have been performed urgently, but was instead delayed by three hours by a series of "system and communication failures".

Heart monitored

The coroner said he would also be reporting the hospital's actions to the Royal College of Nursing and Midwifery.

Maternity staff had been monitoring the baby's heart-beat for most of the morning and noted that it was abnormally high, the inquest heard.

Despite the concerns of two senior midwives that an emergency Caesarean section should be performed, the registrar attempted to induce the birth on 2 June, last year, the inquest heard.

The drugs used to induce labour would have only served to increase the pressure on baby Romy, the inquest heard.

It was only when the attempt failed that Elizabeth Feast, already a mother-of-two, was taken for surgery.

'Scandalous situation'

Even then she was not told she was having an emergency Caesarean, the inquest was told.

Mr Osborne told the inquest: "It is a scandalous situation if the view of a midwife of over 30 years experience cannot be voiced and if they are voiced, are disregarded."

Recording a narrative verdict he said: "The CTG (cardiotocograph) recording her heart beat was misinterpreted, with the result that an emergency Caesarean section was delayed for three hours and she suffered an acute hypoxic cerebral injury.

Mrs Feast, 36, of Harlow Crescent, Milton Keynes said after the verdict: "I put my wellbeing and the life of my baby in the hands of the medically qualified team and they failed me."

Mary Sexton, acting director of Nursing at Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We apologise for the distress that this error of judgement has caused the family.

"This was an error of judgement made at the time, and we can assure you that we have prioritisation systems in place, which are determined by the clinical needs of the women in our care."