NHS Resolution report findings will improve future of fetal monitoring

In response to the NHS Resolution’s first report, Fletcher’s Medical Negligence Solicitor, Andrew Hesketh hopes the findings will improve fetal monitoring.

As well as the need to build stronger neonatal services, the report details six recommendations to support clinical issues identified over the last 12 months by NHSR.

The report confirms that within the cases explored, 70% identified issues with fetal monitoring.

Furthermore, the third recommendation specifically refers to a need to improve fetal monitoring. The advice is that research in this area should be prioritised urgently.

Andrew, who has 17 years’ experience of dealing with sensitive case work, recognises the challenges for lawyers in holding such failings to account.

Regrettably, I have experience dealing with families have lost their new born child after only a few hours, of life. This is because of errors and avoidable issues with fetal monitoring during, and immediately prior to the onset of, labour.

Because of that, Andrew welcomes future recommendations to address this trend:

It is encouraging that such issues are being acknowledged and recommendations made to address these issues.

Earlier this year, Andrew worked closely with a young couple who lost their baby boy just weeks after birth.

It was concluded that the cause of death was from severe brain damage, Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy, which occurs when an infant’s brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen and blood.

The medical experts instructed to determine liability reported the CTG traces following the mother’s admission to Hospital, and in particular on the day of her admission, were not as reassuring as the Trust suggested and recorded in their notes.

In conclusion to the case, Andrew said.

This case was as much about providing answers and helping the parents to come to terms with what had happened, as it was about getting some form of justice for their son.

Alongside Andrew, Fletcher’s Director of Medical Negligence Serious Injury, Mark Tempest is hopeful the findings result in a brighter future:

We welcome the findings of this report as a very positive step on behalf of NHS Resolution. We have long sought an initiative like this. As lawyers representing the injured parties, we have in the past found it difficult to get the meaningful discussions started with NHS in the early stages of these complex cases. We fully support the initiative described in this report and would like to see it extended as far as possible.

Lawyers representing claimants can also do better by making sure that we notify the NHS at an early stage