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Baby died in Scarborough 'after midwives dismissed concerns'

Baby died in Scarborough 'after midwives dismissed concerns'

BBC News2 days ago
Midwives "dismissed" the concerns of a mother whose baby died shortly after being born, her lawyers have said.Leah Parker, 27, told staff at Scarborough General Hospital about her son Sonny's heart rate slowing during labour in November 2022, but said she was "ignored".She said: "I went into hospital with a perfectly healthy baby after a great pregnancy with no issues or concerns, but left without a baby to take home and raise."The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust apologised to Sonny's family and said it had implemented changes.
Medical negligence specialists Hudgell Solicitors said that soon after arriving at hospital, Ms Parker was told that her baby would need to be induced because he was "on the larger side".It was alleged that medication used to make her womb contract should have been stopped four hours before it was.This was potentially harmful to Sonny, the firm said, because his heart rate was slowing with every contraction.According to the firm, the Trust admitted the allegation on 5 July and also accepted Sonny's death may have been prevented if a decision to deliver him was made more than 90 minutes before it was.
'Absolutely devastating'
In a statement issued by the solicitors, Ms Parker said the experience was "heartbreaking"."My mum was with me when I was in labour and she was looking at the heart rate monitor and calling the midwives using the call button as she could see it dropping," she said."We were concerned but every time the midwives would come and say not to worry, and that they were checking it from their station, and so didn't need calling. It made us feel like we were being a nuisance."She said each physical examination became more painful, and she could tell something was wrong after Sonny was delivered because a midwife had tears in her eyes."There was no crying at all and I could hear a lot of activity, but nobody was saying anything," she said."To lose Sonny was absolutely devastating. It sounds an awful thing to say, but if I could go back, I would have taken the option to have had him delivered by Caesarean section, as I don't feel midwives can be trusted."
Ms Parker criticised the communication she received by NHS services following the death of her son."About a week after, I received a message from the doctor's surgery congratulating me on the birth of my baby," she said."I just cried when I opened it. When I went for my post-birth check-up, the doctor had no idea Sonny had died."Ms Parker and her partner have now had a baby girl, who was born in Hull.She said their daughter "really got us through all the difficult days".Medical negligence specialist Samantha Gardner, of Hudgell Solicitors, said the case was "wholly avoidable".She added: "Over the years our lawyers have seen hundreds of apologies to parents who have suffered loss and injury due to maternity negligence, and presently, we're seeing more than ever."In June, a national inquiry was announced into maternity failings.Ms Gardner welcomed the investigation, adding that it "must be driven by the experiences of patients, families and staff".
'Appropriate steps'
A spokesperson for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offered "sincere condolences and apologies to Sonny's family".They said they "fully acknowledge how devastating the loss of a child is".A statement added: "The family has since met with our obstetric and paediatric teams."Sonny's case was referred to the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB), and we accepted and acted on the safety recommendations outlined in their report. We have also fully co-operated with the coroner's inquiry."The inquest concluded that there was an opportunity for Sonny to have been delivered earlier, which the spokesperson said was noted by the Trust.They said: "The coroner was satisfied and reassured that the Trust is taking appropriate steps to implement changes to clinical guidelines and deliver a range of improvements in maternity care."
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Estelle Bingham wants you to know that manifesting isn't about wishing for outcomes – it's about healing
Estelle Bingham wants you to know that manifesting isn't about wishing for outcomes – it's about healing

The Independent

time30 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Estelle Bingham wants you to know that manifesting isn't about wishing for outcomes – it's about healing

Estelle Bingham calls herself a heart-led healer. And though this job title will likely sound 'woo' to some, Bingham seems to commonly show up as the most practical person in the room, whatever the topic of conversation. She's calm yet direct, and discusses the harms we humans inflict on ourselves through self-doubt and negative self-talk as though they're obvious mistakes we've simply forgotten how to correct or avoid. After speaking with her, it does all feel a little more obvious. The idea that self love, self awareness, and gentle mindset shifts could change your life for the better seems like a no-brainer. But could it all be that easy? In recent years, these sorts of ideas have become wildly popular, particularly on social media. We have practitioners like Bingham to thank for the widespread adoption of techniques like 'positive self talk', journaling and manifestation mantras. But Bingham is careful to ascribe credit where it's due. She tells me that her family has used these techniques for generations and when we speak about her new book, Manifest Your True Essence, we discuss the cultural origins of practices like meditation and mindfulness. In a world full of TikTok mindset coaches offering questionable money manifestation courses, Bingham is the real deal. Her approach, which blends modern therapy and mindfulness with spirituality and mysticism, isn't about wishful thinking. It's about feeling your feelings, doing the work and transforming the parts of yourself you've been avoiding for too long. A framework for self love and success 'What I help people do is get out of their heads and into their hearts,' Bingham says. 'The heart has a wisdom of its own. Science has finally caught up with what wisdom keepers or shamans or mystical people have known for centuries.' Her book Manifesting Your True Essence: Clear Your Blocks, Find Your Joy, Live Your Truth is a toolkit for self acceptance. Each chapter aims to help readers understand what's holding them back in life and learn how to love themselves, offering useful exercises and meditations that encourage us to find confidence and compassion where it might be lacking. The homework isn't always easy, as I found when I started reading the book. At times, the things you're encouraged to think about will make you feel uncomfortable, but for Bingham, 'feel' is the operative word. 'Instead of thinking about healing, we are feeling healing,' she explains. 'When we feel our healing, then it's no longer intellectualised. It's happening in real time, and that's why it's so successful.' Before her career as a Goop favourite and mindset expert to the stars, Bingham worked in TV and radio – something she enjoyed but never truly felt aligned with. She tells me that she's always been able to see where people's strengths lie and that some of her friends and clients today were people she saw a spark in decades ago. ' Charlotte Tilbury and I have been friends for years, since we were teenagers, and one of the things I knew intuitively about Charlotte was that she would succeed. She really embraced that idea completely and utterly, with every cell of her body. And I saw it in her.' she says. That self-belief – and the blocks that often stand in its way – is a central part of Estelle's one-to-one work. 'A lot of us have a voice in our heads that says, 'You can't do that. I don't believe in you.' It pulls us down. It's there when we're waking up, in our quietest moments, or when we're about to start something new. I realised I needed to help people shift their mindset – to help them move into the unconscious and pick apart that negative voice,' she explains. The phone call from Gwyneth Paltrow came before Estelle even had a website. 'She was coming to do an In Goop Health summit in London. They'd heard about me, and she said she'd been looking for me,' Estelle recalls. 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It needs to be transformed in order for you to actually receive, and not sabotage it.' The real work, she says, isn't about wishing for outcomes, but getting to know yourself deeply enough that joy, connection and self-worth aren't dependent on external circumstances. 'When we manifest from our hearts rather than our heads, it's a little bit deeper – it's sort of a master manifestation. The more you know about yourself, the more powerful you are in your own life. Happiness isn't outside of us. It's something inside of us. And when you manifest with understanding, openness or curiosity, life brings you everything you need.' So how does someone begin? The social media version of manifestation often looks deceptively easy – a vision board, a candle, a single thought repeated enough times to become reality. 'I wrote the book so people could start the process of healing and self-discovery and empowerment. To go on that journey of deep, proper self love. Because that's what manifestation really is – it's what radical self-love looks like,' Estelle says. 'When we meet the parts of us that have been hurt – with love, curiosity and compassion – it can feel overwhelming. But it's the greatest gift. You'll be amazed when you gather together the parts you've pushed away. The ones you didn't want to look at. When you bring them in from the cold, you'll be so excited and wowed by how beautiful they are. Because that's your true essence.' Self belief in a time of crisis Bingham's philosophy is gaining traction at a time where mental health services are stretched, and loneliness is widespread. 'The loneliness epidemic is worldwide,' she says. 'The way we are online all the time, always on our devices – it's doing us damage.' She's been working with the charity Body & Soul for over a decade in an attempt to share her philosophies with those who need it most. 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Estelle Bingham's wellbeing rituals I'm keen to discuss the benefits of transcendental meditation with Estelle, having learned that she began practicing aged six. So she tells me about her routine. 'I start my days with some organic matcha and I set an intention every morning. I meditate. I learned transcendental meditation when I was very young – but it's basically just mantra-based meditation. And I move. I go to the gym or take the dog for a walk. I spend a lot of time inside, so I try to get out, even if it's just to walk around the park with some music.' You don't need to be still, she adds, to shift your state. 'Walking can take your brain waves from beta to alpha and theta. You don't need silence – you just need awareness.' A mindset shift can feel a long way off for most people. But, she explains, it's all about habit formation. She tells me there are three things you can do every day that are simple and accessible to everyone. 'Just take a couple of minutes a day to meditate. Breathe into your heart. Listen to what your heart is telling you – it will guide you. 'Hold both hands on your heart, breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth, and ask, 'How are you today?' The heart will tell you. And then write it down. Journaling is still such an amazing tool. Just breathing, heart connection and journaling – it's a great place to start.' Her book is designed to be used intuitively. 'You can dip into chapters, flip to the right meditation or journal prompt when you feel triggered, and use it as a tool. I wrote it with the ups and downs of life in mind,' she says. Because life, like healing, is a process. As Bingham explains, 'there's a beginning, a middle and an end to every piece of healing. It's like a bridge, to get to the other side, you have to start.'

Bristol doctor Tony Dixon falsified mesh notes, medical hearing finds
Bristol doctor Tony Dixon falsified mesh notes, medical hearing finds

BBC News

time31 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Bristol doctor Tony Dixon falsified mesh notes, medical hearing finds

A surgeon found to have left patients in agony after using artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels has been found to have falsified medical Dixon was suspended after the surgery was found to have caused harm to hundreds of patients at two hospitals in a new hearing has examined Dr Dixon's records and found he dishonestly created patient records long after he was involved in their mesh patient Jill Smith, from Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol, said Mr Dixon "should never work again". Mr Dixon said he "has very many satisfied patients but respects the findings of the tribunal". He also apologises to those he may have let down. A spokesperson for Mr Dixon added: "Mr Dixon has disputed the allegations throughout the tribunal hearing and is disappointed by the factual determination."Mr Dixon has always endeavoured to provide the highest standard of care to his patients." Mrs Smith, 71, has received a settlement from Mr Dixon after paying privately to have a fisher operation but she claims she ended up having three meshes implanted without her consent which left her in severe pain and suffering from breakdowns. She told the BBC that her own experience meant she was not surprised the tribunal had found dishonesty, adding: "It's just he is saying one thing and writing something else and you just feel a bit strange about it all, that it's corrupt and lying."It makes people feel, me as well, disappointed, disillusioned."Two investigations at Southmead Hospital and Spire Bristol have previously found Mr Dixon caused harm to hundreds of people by carrying out operations that were not has since said private hospitals now can access patient notes without having to rely on copies from consultants. The tribunal had examined claims medical records for seven patients contained false information and were not created at the correct found that as part of a Spire review, Mr Dixon disclosed medical records for several patients that were created after his involvement in their care. It found his actions would have given the false impression that the Spire records were also found patient records disclosed to the solicitors of four patients who were suing him contained false Dixon was also found to have failed to adequately explain the complications of a re-look laparotomy in 2017.A final decision over what sanctions will be taken against Mr Dixon is expected this summer. Dr Dixon had previously built up an international reputation as the go-to expert for patients with prolapsed used a technique known as mesh rectopexy to treat bowel the procedure, mesh implants are placed into the body to treat pelvic organ prolapse which can occur after mesh, which is usually made from synthetic polypropylene, is intended to repair damaged or weakened the point of his suspension in 2024, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) said Dr Dixon's "misconduct was so serious that action needed be taken to protect members of the public".But, the tribunal considered that a longer period of suspension would be unduly punitive, especially taking into account the period that Dr Dixon had already been the subject of fitness to practise Southmead Hospital and Spire Bristol apologised to victims after his suspension.

A spoonful of common diet staple an hour before bed ‘helps you sleep better' – plus 5 other hacks
A spoonful of common diet staple an hour before bed ‘helps you sleep better' – plus 5 other hacks

The Sun

time31 minutes ago

  • The Sun

A spoonful of common diet staple an hour before bed ‘helps you sleep better' – plus 5 other hacks

STRUGGLING to get a decent night's sleep? Well, you aren't alone, Brits are one of the world's most sleep deprived countries - as we average just six and a half hours of kip per night, stats show. 3 Thankfully, a scoop of this everyday food might be the answer, and it's probably already in your cupboard. A doctor has claimed that scoffing a spoonful of peanut butter an hour before bed could help you sleep right through the night. 'This is because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid vital for the production of serotonin, which can have a calming effect on your brain,' said Dr Kunal Sood, US-based anaesthesiologist. It also packs healthy fats, which help keep your blood sugar stable, a key factor in preventing those annoying 3am wake-ups. 'Lastly, peanut butter also contains magnesium, which has been shown to also relax you and improve sleep quality,' Dr Sood explained in a recent TikTok video. Although there's no research on the effects of peanut butter on sleep specifically, some studies back the idea that tryptophan-rich foods can improve sleep. That's because tryptophan can be turned into a molecule called 5-HTP, which your body uses to make serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin helps regulate mood, thinking and sleep, while melatonin is the hormone that controls your sleep–wake cycle. But a 2024 study found peanut butter didn't help sleep. Although the research, published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, only tested 40 firefighters, who often have disrupted sleep anyway, so the results might not apply to everyone. Your ultimate sleep toolkit in 13 steps - from recording snoring to daylight hack Dr Sood was reacting to a viral video posted by 29-year-old Kat Eilonwy from Pennsylvania, US, which has now racked up 1.8million views. She said: 'So, apparently eating a spoon of peanut butter before bed helps drop your cortisol levels to help you sleep.' Cortisol, often called the 'stress hormone' can mess with your sleep if levels are too high in the evening. Previous research, including the 2021 ARISTOTLE study, has linked regular peanut butter consumption to lower cortisol levels, along with reduced anxiety and depression. Commenters were quick to back the nut butter hack. One wrote: 'I discovered that a spoonful before bedtime helps me sleep through the night.' 3 Another said: 'Every night I take one slice of bread, slap some PB on it and fold it in half. I'm always asleep within 30 minutes of eating that.' A third added: 'It works! I've been doing it for three months, doing it to help my stomach when I couldn't sleep and noticed I slept better after a spoonful of peanut butter.' Dr Sood's followers also agreed. One said: 'I have trouble sleeping almost every night. Peanut butter has helped me a lot.' Another added: 'Wow okay good reason to eat peanut butter.' And a third added: 'I thought I was the only one who did this!' Peanut butter, or just peanuts, has also been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. But Dr Sood warned: 'It is worth noting while peanut butter may help some people sleep, it is not for everyone.' As one unlucky commenter put it: 'Dammit, I'm allergic to peanuts.' 5 other sleeping hacks The NHS says we should all aim for seven to nine hours a night — but even the best sleepers struggle sometimes. For most of us, a proper night's kip feels like the ultimate prize. So how do you actually get it? Here are some well-known hacks which might be worth a try: 1. The military hack Used by soldiers to fall asleep in just 2 minutes, this technique involves relaxing your entire body step-by-step, starting with your face, then your shoulders, arms, and down to your legs. Clear your mind and take slow, deep breaths. It is meant to work, even if you're lying in a noisy room. 2. The melatonin boost Melatonin is the hormone your body makes to signal bedtime. You can help it along by dimming lights an hour before sleep and avoiding screens. In the UK, melatonin supplements aren't sold over the counter—you need a prescription to get them. 3. Cool down to nod off Your body needs to drop its core temperature to fall asleep easily. Which can be a bit of an issue in the summer. Keep your bedroom cool, around 18C is perfect, and use breathable bedding. Cooler temps help you drift off faster and get deeper sleep. 4. Cut caffeine after midday That afternoon cuppa might keep you wired when you should be winding down. At least eight hours should pass between your last hit of caffeine and bedtime. Try switching to decaf or herbal teas after lunch to avoid a late-night buzz. 5. Breathe and relax Try slow, deep breathing or a quick meditation before bed. It calms your mind and body, making it easier to switch off and drift off.

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