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BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Premature baby's care at Leeds hospital 'unacceptable'
The parents of a premature baby boy who died just hours after his birth have described the care he received in hospital as "unacceptable".Benjamin Arnold developed breathing difficulties shortly after being born just over five weeks before his due date at St James's Hospital in Leeds in "missed" opportunities to diagnose a pneumothorax, also known as a collapsed lung, and had this been treated he would likely have survived, area coroner Oliver Longstaff said at an Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), which runs the hospital, said it was "extremely sorry that Benjamin died whilst in our care". 'Missed opportunity' Mr Longstaff's narrative conclusion, following the inquest into Benjamin's death at Wakefield Coroner's Court last week, said the baby had "collapsed" during a procedure to help his underdeveloped lungs to breathe three hours after his to resuscitate him were ultimately unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead less than eight hours after he was Longstaff said there was a "missed opportunity to consider the possibility" of a pneumothorax early on in the process, because procedure policy "did not mandate a chest X-ray", which he said would probably have revealed it.A further opportunity was also missed when the medic performing the procedure did not discuss it with the neonatal consultant involved, the coroner added. The consultant would likely have asked if a pneumothorax had been ruled out as a cause of Benjamin's condition, the conclusion Longstaff said: "No thought was given to the pneumothorax being a potential, and potentially reversible, cause of the collapse."If they had been treated he would have, on the balance of probabilities, survived."The coroner said he was preparing a prevention of future deaths report, which would examine what lessons could be learned from the case and that would be published in due course. 'Important changes' In a statement to the BBC, Benjamin's parents said: "We are devastated by Benjamin's death."The standard of care he received was unacceptable."We urge Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to take the prevention of future deaths report seriously."We ask the government to urgently provide the funding for the new hospital building in Leeds. "This would allow all maternity and neonatal care to be provided from a single site and improve patient safety. This cannot wait any longer."In January, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the planned redevelopment of Leeds General Infirmary would not begin before 2030. At the time Professor Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said he was "extremely disappointed" by the the inquest, Dr Magnus Harrison, LTHT's medical director, said: "I am extremely sorry Benjamin died whilst in our care and I cannot imagine how difficult the last three years have been for his family."I want to reassure everyone that we have already made important changes to improve our neonatal service."These include changes to our policies to have a consultant neonatologist available on each hospital site and involving them earlier in the delivery of complex clinical procedures."While we recognise these do not undo the loss of Benjamin, we will continue to review our service and make improvements so we can deliver the best possible care for our babies and their families." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Guardian
13-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Asylum seeker billed £10,000 for NHS maternity care ‘could only afford penny a month'
A destitute asylum seeker who was billed more than £10,000 for having a baby could afford to pay just a penny a month, leading to calls for an urgent review of NHS maternity charging for migrants. Kim, 34, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, was invoiced and then contacted by a debt collection agency after having an emergency caesarean section. Asylum seekers, who receive around £7 a day per person for food, clothing, communication and toiletries, with small 'healthy food' top-ups for mothers of young children, are exempt from charges under the NHS cost recovery programme. The scheme was first introduced by a Conservative government 10 years ago this month, targeting overseas visitors and migrants. However, many women entitled to free NHS maternity care are being wrongly charged, pregnancy charity Maternity Action said. Kim's case was complicated by changes in her migration status. She first claimed asylum in the UK in 2017 after a crackdown on government critics in Zimbabwe, her country of birth, but was refused. In 2021 she became pregnant and made a fresh asylum application, having struggled to do so earlier, she said, because of the pandemic. After the birth of her daughter in March 2022, when she had an active asylum claim and should have been exempt, Kim was invoiced for maternity care by Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust (LTHT) for £10,703.23. The trust later told a debt collection agency that she owed an additional £3,450 relating to previous inpatient care for mobility problems that occurred after her first asylum application had been refused. Kim, supported by the early parenthood charity National Childbirth Trust (NCT), wrote to LTHT saying: 'I am forbidden by law from working and do not have a bank account. 'I would like to propose repayment of £0.01p a month. I am embarrassed that I cannot offer greater contribution … even this will be a stretch. A requirement to pay more than this will put me under significant pressure to obtain money unlawfully.' LTHT has now apologised to Kim 'for any distress caused', confirming they 'cancelled' the invoices once they received 'updated information demonstrating her eligibility'. The trust's chief medical officer, Magnus Harrison, added: 'Where a patient has accrued charges for NHS treatment and their eligibility later changes, previous charges still apply. If a patient is deemed destitute or at risk of imminent destitution then the trust may choose not to pursue the debt for the time being.' It is recommended in the UK that pregnant women have an initial antenatal appointment before 10 weeks, but fear of charges meant Kim did not seek antenatal care until four months, encouraged by NCT. 'The danger is that incorrect implementation of the rules deters women from seeking appropriate antenatal and postnatal care,' Judith Dennis, Maternity Action's head of policy, said. 'This has serious implications for maternity safety (and) the health of women and babies.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Anna Miller, Doctors of the World's head of policy, said charging migrants meant babies whose parents had been here for years were 'born into debt', with no evidence of the cost-effectiveness of a policy that led to 'people avoiding treatment' until crisis. Describing the impact of being charged, Kim said: 'I really felt depressed … where am I going to get this money? I was still a new mum, breastfeeding as well … you're trying to heal from a caesarean and then there's a bill, there's a small child as well.' Kim remains in asylum accommodation, where residents have complained of mould and cockroaches, awaiting a decision on her claim and attending college, hoping to study nursing. The NCT is calling for the impact of maternity charging to be examined and for access to interpreters and 'secure housing' for pregnant women who are migrants. The NCT head of programmes, Helen Lloyd, said: 'The threat of NHS charging creates a hostile environment for pregnant women with unclear immigration status.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Asylum accommodation is required to meet strict standards, and regular inspections are conducted to ensure these are maintained. 'The NHS is a residency based system and it is only right that those who are not lawfully settled here, or exempt from charge, should contribute to the cost of their care.'
