Mark Bowman secures settlement for incontinence after childbirth
On 07 September 2007, Bridget, who was almost 41 weeks pregnant, was admitted to the Hillingdon Hospital for delivery of her first child. Bridget required an epidural injection and a syntocinon infusion to speed up the delivery of her baby.
Following the performance of a vaginal examination, a urinary catheter was inserted. Checks should have taken place to ensure that the catheter was inserted correctly, and that it remained in place. Such checks were not documented within Bridget’s medical records.
Bridget gave birth to a healthy baby but sustained a second degree tear to her perineum which was sutured by the midwife. At this point the urinary catheter was also removed. Shortly after this, Bridget stood up and had an episode of urinary incontinence.
Bridget has subsequently remained incontinent of urine and requires the daily use of incontinence pads. Bridget’s quality of life has been affected as a result of the injuries which she sustained.
We were instructed to investigate a claim against the Hillingdon Hospital. NHS Trust and obtained expert evidence from a midwife who confirmed that the standard of midwifery care provided to Bridget was substandard.
NHS Trust and obtained expert evidence from a midwife who confirmed that the standard of midwifery care provided to Bridget was substandard.
A letter of claim was sent to Hillingdon Hospital. It was admitted that the midwife’s note keeping had been poor, but it was denied that Bridget’s injuries were caused by any alleged substandard treatment. The trust argued that the injuries sustained were entirely consistent with normal labour and delivery.
Following negotiations with the NHSLA the claim settled out of court.
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For further information about birth injuries to the mother and medical negligence claims, please call Mark Bowman on 03304606794 or email mark.bowman@fieldfisher.com.
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