A grieving mother has described how she was handed a bereavement booklet and told to “book a slot to give birth” after her unborn baby died following a series of medical blunders.
Danielle Brown, 31, from North Tyneside, was diagnosed with life-threatening pre-eclampsia but was sent home twice from Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary. The first-time mum was even told by a consultant obstetrician she should stay in hospital until her daughter was born because of concerns over her condition and the baby's heart rate.
Despite this, Danielle was discharged and told to go home. The next day, she called the maternity unit in a panic after suffering severe stomach cramps. However, she said her fears were “dismissed” by a midwife, who told her she probably had a stomach bug. When she finally returned to hospital, Danielle said she had to wait 90 minutes before being seen by a doctor.
Baby Maisie's death confirmed
Danielle and her partner, Anthony Miller, 34, were then told their baby girl, Maisie, had died. In a further blow, Danielle said she was then sent home again despite her pre-eclampsia.
She said: “When it was confirmed Maisie had died, we burst into tears.
“Nobody explained what had happened to Maisie. I was just given a booklet for bereaved parents and told to book a slot to give birth. Hearing that with no compassion angered me so much.”
Describing the birth, Danielle said: “I went through 10 hours of labour and pain. When Maisie was born, the room was silent. Seeing Maisie was bittersweet. She was perfect. I told her she was beautiful and I loved her.”
She added: “It was devastating that my first experience of holding a baby was holding my stillborn daughter.”
Legal action and hospital admission
Danielle later instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers Irwin Mitchell to investigate. The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust admitted a breach of duty and accepted that her daughter would have survived had Danielle not been sent home.
Danielle, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and depression, has now received an undisclosed settlement. Although the couple have since welcomed son Harrison, now two-years-old, Danielle says Maisie's loss is something they will carry forever.
She was seven months pregnant when she attended hospital on February 12, 2023, after waking with swelling to her face, hands and feet - signs of pre-eclampsia. Concerns were raised about Maisie's heart rate and Danielle was transferred to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) later that day. The next day, a consultant obstetrician told her she should remain in hospital until giving birth. However, she was discharged on February 14 after a review by a different consultant.
On February 15, Danielle phoned RVI's maternity assessment unit with concerns about her symptoms. When she got through, she was told she probably had a stomach bug. She gave birth to Maisie on February 17.
Hospital trust response
Danielle said: “While we feel so blessed to have Harrison, it remains difficult knowing Maisie should be here with us too. She will always be part of our family.”
Ian Joy, executive director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at the hospital trust, said: “Maisie's family have experienced a devastating loss which has undoubtedly had a profound effect on everyone who loved her.
“We fully accept that aspects of the care we provided fell short of the standards the family had every right to expect and offer a heartfelt apology for this.
“Following a detailed review in 2023, we improved urgent assessment for women who come to our maternity services with unexpected symptoms or suspected complications and introduced quicker escalation procedures when there are concerns.
“National standards have recently been published for this aspect of maternity care and our services have recently been assessed as performing well against the main elements. Our priority is to make sure all standards are exceeded across the service.”
As reported by the BBC, an NHS spokesperson said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the family for their loss and the distress caused. These failings in care are unacceptable and should never have happened.
“Anyone experiencing the loss of a baby should be fully supported by a specialist maternity team so they can make choices about their care that are right for them.”
