The BBC are reporting today on the case of a mother who said she wasn’t listened to when she had concerns when giving birth, and later went on to lose her baby.
“Numerous missed opportunities to acknowledge the complexity of the pregnancy” were likely to have contributed to his death, according to a report by Hywel Dda Health Board.
The internal report lists numerous shortcomings which include not acting on abnormal scan findings, and a failure to expedite delivery.
Despite living north of Aberystwyth, mother Kara Jones and her partner had to make regular visits to Glangwili Hospital, which has a specialist care unit, on account of her diabetes.
Glangwili Hospital sits in the constituency of Welsh Conservative AM and Shadow Health Minister, Angela Burns. She said this isn’t the first time she has heard of such concerns and is currently undertaking her own investigative work into the issue.
Commenting, she said:
“This was a tragic event which has and will continue to cause lasting pain. This might have been avoided if Aberystwyth’s Bronglais Hospital had suitable investment so Ms Jones didn’t have to travel an hour and a half to Glangwili because she was diabetic.
“What is concerning is a seeming negligence of the patients’ concerns, which appears to be a huge failure in duty of care. The Health Board has a lot to answer for and any amount of compensation will never make up for the loss of a child.
“Sadly, there is a huge problem with accountability throughout NHS structures in Wales, and the buck has to stop with the Welsh Government. That is why the Welsh Conservatives have a five-point accountability plan for our NHS so patients can take control.”