Latest news with #DeborahArcher
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Baby death inquest hears concerns over Yeovil maternity 'delays'
A coroner has raised concerns over "delays and staff communication" at an NHS after the death of a newborn McCoy was delivered by caesarean section at Yeovil District Hospital on 9 February 2022 after her mother reported feeling "reduced and unusual movement".Deborah Archer, Area Coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, told an inquest that Daisy died as a result of a brain injury in the womb, but there was a delay in her delivery "due to a combination of factors". A Somerset NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said it extended its "sincere condolences" to Daisy's family, adding "we are already working hard to address the points raised". After her birth, Daisy was moved to Southmead Hospital in Bristol and died in a children's hospice in Barnstaple on 22 February. Ms Archer said: "Although the inquest determined an earlier delivery would not have made a difference to her survival, the delivery process raised a number of concerns."She said there had been "a failure to communicate appropriately between staff" and "a lack of training on recognising the significance of abnormal foetal movements".The inquest found there were multiple communication issues and the consultant involved, who was on-call from home, was not fully aware of staffing problems on the parents were left on their own for about an hour with no action being taken, the hearing was also told. The birthing service at Yeovil District hospital is currently closed following a Care Quality Commission report into children's services. A prevention of future deaths report has been sent to Somerset NHS Foundation Archer said: "I remain concerned about the prospect of Yeovil Maternity Unit reopening without matters being considered."In a statement the Trust said: "We are already working hard to address the points raised, including improvements in training, managing escalation, promotion of appropriate professional challenge, communication and training, as well as ensuring our colleagues fully understand relevant policies and procedures."
Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Times
Consultant was ‘working from home' when baby died in hospital
A baby girl died after a delayed caesarean section after 'communication failures' with a consultant who was working from home, a coroner has said. Daisy McCoy was born by caesarean section at Yeovil special care baby unit in Somerset on February 9, 2022 after her mother reported feeling reduced foetal movement, an inquest heard. A scan showed that before her birth, Daisy had sustained at least one brain injury, possibly due to problems with the umbilical cord or placenta. Her parents were left on their own for an hour with no explanation of how serious Daisy's injury was. There was a delay in carrying out the caesarean section after the staff's 'failure to communicate', said Deborah Archer, area coroner for Devon, Plymouth & Torbay. She recorded a narrative conclusion that the 13-week-old girl had died due to an interruption in blood flow to her brain that caused 'significant damage' and perinatal asphyxia before her delivery. Archer has issued a prevention of future deaths report, in which she said: 'There was a delay in Daisy's caesarean being performed due to a combination of factors, which involved a failure to communicate appropriately between staff and a lack of training on recognising the significance of abnormal foetal movements and foetal compromise generally. • NHS maternity failings laid bare by £3.5 billion claims bill 'Although the inquest ultimately determined the brain injury to Daisy was already present when she attended Yeovil maternity unit and that an earlier delivery would not have made a difference to her survival … the timing of the injury was an issue at inquest and the delivery process raised a number of concerns.' According to her report, such concerns included that 'the consultant, who was working remotely, was not fully aware of the staffing issues on the ward, and this meant that she did not fully consider with all the information whether she should have come onto the unit to assist in person'. She added: 'During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.' Shortly after her birth, Daisy was transferred to Southmead Hospital, a larger hospital in Bristol, and then a children's hospice in Barnstaple, where she died 13 days after the caesarean. • The bereaved parents 'failed' by NHS maternity care A scan had shown the baby had suffered a brain injury due to lack of oxygen or blood flow 'which on the balance of probabilities had occurred before delivery', the inquest heard. The interruption to blood flow was 'potentially due to a problem with the umbilical cord or placenta'. Only the registrar knew that the abnormal scan required a call to the consultant within 30 minutes, but this did not occur, leading to a delay in the casaserean section. None of the staff checked the foetal heartbeat according to set criteria and therefore did not escalate the test results, the inquest was told. The consultant told the inquest that if she had been aware of the outcome of the scan, she would have gone to the ward at that point. The coroner's report set out seven matters of concern at the unit, including 'a lack of training to recognise unusual foetal movements, and on rapid escalation of emergency events'. There was also 'a gap in policy to provide for both consultants and or midwives to attend in person where understaffing may lead to patient safety being compromised' and 'a lack of adequate communication between different health care professionals on the maternity unit', she added. The unit has since closed temporarily due to 'high staff sickness', Adam Dance the Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, claimed in the House of Commons in June that this was partly due to a 'toxic work culture'. The hospital said the baby unit will be closed for at least six months from May. The coroner's report has been sent to the associate medical director of Musgrove Park in Taunton, the other acute hospital run by the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and where many mothers from the closed Yeovil unit have been sent in the interim. They have until September 30 to respond. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We want to extend our sincere condolences to Daisy's family at this difficult time. 'We note the coroner's report, and we are already working hard to address the points raised, includingimprovements in training, managing escalation, promotion of appropriate professionalchallenge, communication and training, as well as ensuring our colleagues fully understandrelevant policies and procedures.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Baby died after ‘communication issues' with remote-working consultant
A coroner has issued a warning about NHS consultants working remotely from home after a baby died following a delayed Caesarean section. Daisy McCoy's mother visited hospital reporting reduced and unusual foetal movement, and a scan showed that Daisy had sustained at least one brain injury, an inquest heard. However, there was a delay in carrying out the C-section operation at Yeovil Maternity Unit in Somerset because of 'communication issues' between staff, including the consultant who was working remotely. Deborah Archer, the area coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, warned that there was a gap in policy on staffing after the consultant did not 'fully consider' if she should come in to assist because she was unaware of staffing problems on the ward. Shortly after her birth, Daisy was transferred to a larger hospital and then to a children's hospice, where she died 13 days after the procedure. Phone call was not initiated Yeovil Maternity Unit closed temporarily in May this year because 'high staff sickness', which Adam Dance, the local MP, told the Commons was partly due to a 'toxic work culture'. It is due to open in November. The inquest heard that Daisy was born via Caesarean section at the unit in Somerset on Feb 9 2022. After her mother had reported abnormal foetal movement, there was a delay in the operation because of a communication failure between staff and a lack of training around the significance of this presentation. A scan showed that Daisy had suffered a brain injury because of lack of oxygen or blood flow, and her parents were left on their own for an hour with no explanation of how serious the injury was. In a prevention of future deaths report, Ms Archer said: 'The consultant who was working remotely was not fully aware of the staffing issues on the ward, and this meant that she did not fully consider with all the information whether she should have come onto the unit to assist in person.' She said there was no guidance to ask a consultant to attend in this matter, and 'no one had time to escalate matters ... or make an accurate note', which meant that a telephone call – which should have happened 30 minutes after Daisy's abnormal scan – was not initiated. None of the staff checked the criteria for a normal foetal heartbeat, and therefore did not escalate the results of the test. The consultant told the inquest that, if she had been aware of the outcome, she would have come on to the ward at that point. 'Significant damage' On Feb 9, Daisy was moved to the larger Southmead Hospital in Bristol before being transferred at some point to a children's hospice in Barnstaple, Devon, where she died on Feb 22. Ms Archer recorded a narrative conclusion that the 13-day-old had died because of an interruption in blood flow to the brain, which caused 'significant damage', and perinatal asphyxia before her delivery. The inquest found that the brain injury was already present when Daisy's mother attended the maternity unit, and earlier delivery would not have impacted her chances of survival. The area coroner warned that further deaths may occur given the lack of training on abnormal foetal movements, absence of policies on escalation of emergencies, and a gap in the policy on consultants attending when the ward is understaffed. Her report has been sent to the associate medical director of Musgrove Park in Taunton, the other hospital run by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, where many mothers from the closed Yeovil unit have been sent. They have until Sept 30 to respond.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Baby died after C-section was delayed due to 'failure to communicate' between staff and doctor who was working from home
A baby died after a C-section was delayed due to a 'failure to communicate' between the staff and a consultant who was working from home. Daisy McCoy's mother had gone to the hospital reporting reduced and unusual foetal movement, but an inquest heard her pleas were not acted on swiftly enough. Staff at Yeovil Maternity Unit in Somerset failed to escalate the situation, and confusion between medics meant Daisy's emergency caesarean was delayed. The delay was caused by 'failure to communicate' between staff, including the consultant who was working remotely. By the time Daisy was born on February 9, 2022, she had already suffered a brain injury. The inquest found that the brain injury was already present when Daisy's mother attended the maternity unit, and an earlier delivery would not have impacted her chances of survival. The maternity unit has since shut temporarily due to 'high staff sickness', with the local MP blaming a 'toxic work culture' for driving medics away. Deborah Archer, area coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, has now warned there is a 'gap' in their policy regarding consultants or midwives attending when understaffing risks patient safety. Staff at Yeovil Maternity Unit in Somerset failed to escalate the situation, and confusion between medics meant Daisy's emergency caesarean was delayed The inquest heard that Daisy was born via Caesarean section at the hospital on February 9, 2022. Her mother had reported abnormal foetal movement, but there was a delay in the operation because of 'failure to communicate' between staff and a lack of training around the significance of this presentation. A scan showed that Daisy had suffered a brain injury due to a lack of oxygen or blood flow. The interruption to blood flow was 'potentially due to a problem with the umbilical cord or placenta', the report said. Her parents were left on their own for an hour with no explanation of how serious the injury was. After she was born rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, before later being transferred to a hospice in Barnstaple, Devon. She died on February 22, 2022. The consultant working remotely did not 'fully consider' if she should come in to assist because she was unaware of staffing problems on the ward as the unit's guidance did not include asking one to attend if there was an issue outside of the staff's experience or skill set. Only the registrar, a middle-ranking hospital doctor undergoing training as a specialist, knew that the abnormal scan required a call to the consultant within 30 minutes, but she did not phone in either leading to a further delay in the procedure. Staff did not check the criteria for a normal heartbeat and therefore did not escalate the results of the test. The consultant told the inquest that if she had been aware of the outcome, she would have come onto the ward at that point. Ms Archer recorded a narrative conclusion that the 13-day-old had died due to an interruption in blood flow to the brain, which caused 'significant damage' and perinatal asphyxia before her delivery. In May this year, Yeovil Maternity Unit closed temporarily due to 'high staff sickness' and it is due to re-open November. During a House of Commons session in June, Yeovil MP Adam Dance told the chamber absences were caused partly by 'a lack of support, and toxic work culture, and bullying from management.' It was found that the brain injury had already happened when the mother arrived at the maternity unit and an earlier delivery would not have impacted her chances of survival. However, Ms Archer said the hearing had revealed a 'number of concerns' about procedures at the maternity unit. In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, she warned that further deaths may occur given the lack of training on abnormal foetal movements, the absence of policies on escalation of emergencies, and a gap in the policy on consultants attending when the ward is understaffed. The unnamed consultant said that if she had been made aware of the seriousness of the situation overnight, she would have come in. Her report has been sent to the associate medical director of Musgrove Park in Taunton, the other hospital run by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and where many mothers from the closed Yeovil unit have been sent. They have until September 30 to respond.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Government pledges to ‘transform care' for people with ME
The Government has pledged to give hundreds of thousands of people living with chronic fatigue syndrome 'improved care closer to home' as it acknowledged that many patients with the condition 'struggle' to get appropriate care. The Department of Health and Social Care said it is 'committed to changing attitudes and transforming care' for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) as it prepared to publish a new plan to improve care for people with the condition. It comes after the high-profile death of a young woman from the disease. Maeve Boothby-O'Neill, 27, suffered with ME for a decade before she died at home in Exeter in October 2021 from severe malnutrition. Her inquest heard how she had been admitted to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital three times that year for treatment for malnutrition. The 10-day hearing focused on the final few months of her life, by which time she was confined to bed, unable to chew food and had difficulty drinking because she was not able to sit up. Miss Boothby-O'Neill, the daughter of Sean O'Neill, a journalist with The Times newspaper, had been suffering from fatigue since the age of 13, which got worse after she completed her A-levels. Deborah Archer, now an area coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, concluded Miss Boothby-O'Neill had died from natural causes 'because of severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)'. Last year she wrote to the Government to highlight a lack of specialist beds, 'extremely limited' training for doctors and lack of available funding for research and treatment of the condition. On Tuesday, the Government said that it has created a plan which 'outlines clear steps to improve care for patients, by investing in research and offering access to care in the community'. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) acknowledged that many people with the condition 'currently struggle to access appropriate care tailored to their complex condition'. The plan, which is expected to be published on Tuesday, will include new training for NHS workers, DHSC said. And the document will also include funding for research, the DHSC said. Public health minister Ashley Dalton, said: 'ME/CFS is a debilitating illness that can severely limit patients' ability to participate in everyday activities, maintain employment, or enjoy family and social life. 'Today's plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff. 'And through our neighbourhood health services, we will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10-Year Health Plan. But Action for ME said that the plan 'does not go far enough'. Sonya Chowdhury, chief executive of the charity, said: 'We appreciate the time DHSC has put into the delivery plan and their engagement with us and the ME community throughout. 'However, the plan simply does not go far enough. We are at the stage now where we need more than rhetoric, we need to take a strategic approach if we want a different outcome. What is proposed in the plan will not offer this. 'We must have a funded, dedicated research hub to leverage our world-leading life sciences sector to unlock treatments and ultimately cures for ME. 'Without a commitment to better co-ordinate research, people with ME will continue to be neglected, overlooked and, for many, confined to their homes. 'ME charities have been calling for this funding to be accelerated for years and we are still not seeing a strategic approach to address this historic shortfall. Once again, it feels like people with ME have been ignored.' Dr Charles Shepherd, honorary medical advisor and trustee at the ME Association, said: 'Whilst today's announcement is an important step forward in helping to improve the quality of life of people with ME/CFS, the Government must now go much further to improve their medical care and management and help to fund much needed biomedical research into cause and treatment.'
