Couple feel vindicated by critical report into maternity care
Mrs Channon said she and her husband Rob "have frequently been brushed off" and ignored, however they now feel the health board has listened.She added that an unreserved apology "goes a long way to mend bridges with families who have felt adrift".Rob Channon added: "We do have faith that the new leadership want to make change, we just have to give them time. "If they don't make changes, we will have to hold them accountable for that."Maternity services across the UK have come under the spotlight, with the health secretary in England announcing "a rapid national investigation" into NHS maternity and neonatal services, following a series of maternity scandals going back more than a decade.Those who support families that have experienced birth trauma argue the same mistakes were being made, with little sign that lessons were being learned.
Julia Reynolds heads up legal firm Leigh Day in Wales, and as a medical negligence specialist said the issues had not changed in years."I see cases from all of the health boards across Wales and the issues we see are similar," she said."I have significant concerns about the quality of maternity care across Wales."The review of care in Swansea found that debriefs with families and responses to complaints lacked compassion.Ms Reynolds said after losing a baby many families struggle to deal with being told "it was one of those things"."While staff might feel they're doing the right thing by potentially offering reassurance to families, what that really does is just leave those parents without answers, and really nagging doubts.""I do believe it's a disservice to families and I think it's really important for families to have answers, to understand what went wrong and even more importantly, for those children to get that early treatment to get the better outcome."
The independent review into care at Swansea Bay included testimony from women who felt vulnerable, brushed off when they raised concerns, and as a result felt guilty for not speaking up for themselves more.Bereaved women spoke of a lack of compassion, others felt belittled, and birthing partners felt powerless or ignored.It called for improvements to the complaints process in Wales to make it less rigid and more compassionate.Swansea Bay health board apologised unreservedly "to all women and families whose care has fallen well below the expected standard" and was working on an improvement plan.The Welsh government also apologised, and accepted all recommendations in full.
Director of the Royal College of Midwives in Wales, Julie Richards, said the written policies, frameworks and statements from the Welsh government set out positive intentions."However, they cannot be achieved without investment and proper workforce planning."Over the past number of years reports and reviews into maternity services in Wales are sadly flagging the same key issues that are impacting the delivery of safe care, understaffing, underfunding, working culture and not enough emphasis or time for crucial multi-disciplinary training."Our members are seeing a rise in more complex pregnancies, with women requiring more specialist support during pregnancy so it's never been more important to get this right."
A big theme from the report into care given in Swansea Bay was that women were not listened to."It's very easy sometimes for staff to dismiss a woman who's distressed as being over-dramatic," said Kim Thomas, from the Birth Trauma Association."We hear quite a lot that women are told they're making too much of a fuss. But when they try to remain calm there's an assumption there's probably nothing wrong."It creates real problems for women. This is where listening comes in - if a woman says she thinks something's wrong, then actually listen to her."The issues were all the more pressing given the disparities experienced by black women across the UK.Maternal mortality is almost four times higher than that of white women, with significant disparities for Asian and mixed ethnicity women too.
Umyima Sunday said she experienced good care when she delivered her second child at Singleton hospital two years ago, but her labour progressed so quickly she delivered her daughter on the ward."Even in pain, I'm really calm," said the 33-year-old, who moved to Swansea from Nigeria to study a post-graduate course in public health three years ago."I would say they were looking at me thinking, 'she's not in so much pain'."But a woman that has gone through that before knows how her body reacts. They didn't really understand that I was really in pain and needed them at that time."She said that while staff were listening, they lacked urgency, meaning no one was there to guide her through contractions and when to push."I just wanted the baby out and couldn't think properly - if I had someone beside me, guiding me through the process, I would have avoided the tears I had during the process."
Perpetua Ugwu, 34, also considered her labour to be "smooth and straight forward" for her second child, and "nurses and midwives attended to me very well".Though she was initially told over the phone to "exercise a little bit of patience" when she told staff labour had started."If I had waited a little longer I would have given birth at home. If I hadn't taken that step to go into the hospital I would have delivered at home, because they didn't believe that my labour was there."But I knew what I was feeling and I knew that my labour is not long, it's usually short."Her waters broke in the taxi to hospital and her baby was born around 30 minutes later.She said if she could change one thing it would be to "take away that stereotype of black women being able to tolerate pain more."We all go through labour in different ways, but if someone complains she is feeling pain or not feeling well, the best they can do is give the person attention. Don't let them wait a little longer."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Doctor concerned mother influenced daughter's cancer treatment, inquest hears
An NHS doctor has told an inquest into the death of 23-year-old Paloma Shemirani - who died months after refusing treatment for cancer - that she was concerned her mother could have influenced the decision. The Cambridge graduate refused chemotherapy after being diagnosed in December 2023, and died just seven months later in July - despite a doctor telling her she had an 80 per cent chance of survival if she underwent treatment. Paloma's brothers have spoken out publicly in recent weeks, accusing their mother Kate Shemirani of influencing Paloma into refusing treatment that could have saved her life. Kate is a former nurse who was struck off in 2021 for sharing anti-vaxx misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has a large following across social media, where she shares anti-medicine conspiracy theories to millions of people online. Arunodaya Mohan, a consultant haematologist at Maidstone Hospital told the inquest on Friday at Oakwood House in Maidstone, Kent, that Kate had raised concerns with experts about the treatment plan seven months before Paloma's death. Dr Mohan met Paloma on December 22 2023 to set out the treatment plan after her diagnosis. She told the inquest she recommended steroids and a PET (positron emission tomography) scan, adding that Paloma 'nodded in agreement'. But soon after that, Paloma told Ms Mohan that she had not made her mind up about the treatment and wished to explore other options. Dr Mohan said that she spoke on the phone with Paloma's mother, saying that she expressed 'concerns' about the side-effects of steroids. Dr Mohan told the inquest: 'I didn't want to discuss with mum because I didn't think it would be helpful to her.' Alison Hewitt, counsel to the inquest, later asked: 'Were there concerns that Ms Shemirani was influencing Paloma?' Dr Mohan replied: 'That's right.' Paloma declined to have the treatment, and when Dr Mohan asked why, there did not seem to be a specific reason, the inquest heard. Ms Hewitt asked Dr Mohan if she questioned Paloma on whether her decision was influenced by anyone. Dr Mohan said: 'She was very confident that it was her own decision and she was not influenced.' Kate advocates for the use of 'natural medicine' to cure diseases, and credits alternative therapies for being cancer free after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, although her tumour was removed through surgery. It is these kinds of conspiracy theories that Paloma's brothers, Gabriel and Sebastian Shemirani, believe led their sister to refuse treatment for cancer. Kate and her husband Faramarz Shemirani have denied responsibility and claimed that 'Paloma died as a result of medical interventions' since her sons made the accusations, the BBC reported. 'My sister has passed away as a direct consequence of my mum's actions and beliefs,' Paloma's brother Sebastian told the BBC. 'And I don't want anyone else to go through the same pain or loss that I have." Paloma began suffering chest pains after she graduated from the University of Cambridge and was later diagnosed with cancers after doctors found a mass in her lung. She was told the cancer could be fatal if left untreated, but that she had an 80 per cent chance of recovery with treatment. Her mother then spent two days with her as an inpatient at Maidstone Hospital, which Paloma's boyfriend claimed could have influenced her decision to reject chemotherapy. Her brother, Gabriel, then began a legal case arguing that Paloma should have an assessment of the appropriate medical treatment for her. However, Paloma died before the case reached its conclusion in July 2024.
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Fake Botox ‘poisoning cosmetic patients'
Thirty-eight people in the UK have been poisoned by fake Botox since last month, officials have revealed. Victims experienced difficulties with breathing and swallowing, as well as slurred speech, after suffering from botulism, a rare and life-threatening condition. The UK Healthcare Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning over the cases in the East of England and the East Midlands, following a spate of similar poisonings in the North East. To date, 38 cases of 'iatrogenic botulism' have been reported between 4 June and 14 July. The UKSHA said it was warning people to be aware of the symptoms after victims needed NHS care after suffering from adverse reactions. Evidence so far suggests that an 'unlicensed Botox-like product' had been used, the agency said. The practitioners involved have stopped offering the injections and are co-operating with an ongoing investigation, the UKSHA said. Officials said there were no known links between the newly diagnosed cases and those in the North East. Symptoms can take four weeks to develop The UKHSA has urged members of the public to make sure they take precautions when seeking aesthetic procedures, including checking if the product being used is licensed. Dr Gauri Godbole, a consultant medical microbiologist at the UKHSA, said: 'Botulism related to aesthetic procedures is rare, but it can be serious. It is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. These toxins (but not the bacteria) are the active ingredient in 'Botox' and similar products. 'Symptoms of botulism can take up to four weeks to develop, and if you have had a recent botulinum toxin (Botox-like) treatment and are having symptoms such as difficulty swallowing or breathing, contact NHS 111 for further advice and seek treatment.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Swansea's Singleton Hospital closes kitchen after cockroach infestation
A cockroach infestation has forced a hospital to temporarily close its main kitchen. Swansea Bay health board said it discovered the infestation in the under-croft area at Singleton Hospital, Sketty, which had affected some parts of the kitchen. In a statement, it said no clinical areas were affected and all catering staff and food production had been moved to Morriston Hospital's kitchen in Swansea. "All food produced previously at Singleton and stored in cold store freezers has been discarded as a precaution," the health board said, adding it was working closely with Environmental Health to eradicate the infestation. The health board added no patient meals have been dining room and coffee shop on site remain open, it said, with food produced off site or purchased from alternative suppliers.
