Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Do you think i have a case?/ Should i go through with it? please help!

26 replies

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:10

Some ladies may know me. I lost my baby Riley at 23 weeks and want to make a complaint. People have told me I have a case but I'm not convinced. I don't want the money, I want it to be known that some hospitals do not do enough for pregnant woman!

My story...
Pregnancy was amazing. Enjoyed ever second and had no complications!
On the morning of the 5th April last year I woke up to a little pain and a couple if spots of blood (half9). I walked down the road and the pain got worse and it made me cry. I rung my local hospital to ask for advuce they madw me ring. I finally got throigh and they told me to take painkillers. I told then I had spots of blood about the size of 10p and the pain was getting worse, all she said was take painkillers and not to come in. I did, pain kept getting worse rung them again said the same. Rungmy mum she rushed to come see me took her half hour. She rung them and demanded to let me come in as i was in alot of pain. About 2-3 hours later I was on my way in, took an hour in thw car.

When I got in, I stood around in a waiting room with people in for half an hour before someone noticed I was there(no one at reception). They pit me in a room where I waited a further 15minutes. Some on came to see me and they tols me that it was probably nothing, listened to babies heart beat and it was fine she said everything was finw.

A doctor came and examined me to find I was 10cm dilated with a placental infection. I got told my baby was going to die. And if I came in earlier they could of gave me a cervical sti5ch to prevent it. I was angry and upset. Worst moment of my life.

My labour made me ill after 36hours my water had to be broke because they could of lost me as i was in a bad state I had my littlw boy and he was botn sleepig.

They could of prevented it! Please. say your opiniojs I finally have the guts to do something! Should I get a case/ take it further?X

OP posts:

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:12

Also after she examined me it took hours to get a second opinion on whether i was fully dilated by that timw if I wasnt it would of been to late :(.

OP posts:

ButteryJam · 13/03/2013 15:17

I'm so sorry you have been through that

I would make a complaint ...

SeriousStuff · 13/03/2013 15:21

I'm so sorry for your experience, and it seems even worse knowing that something could've been done.

The only advice I have is to contact the Health Service Ombudsman www.ombudsman.org.uk/

Their job is to help investigate your complaint if you feel you've been poorly treated by the NHS in England (not sure if you're in England but Wales, Scot and Ire will have their own contacts for this also). They should be able to tell you if you have a case as ultimately, they should be concerned with changing bad practices for others in future.

Let us know how you get on.

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:24

I've been meaning to but since I've been ill and had two further miscarriages and my husband has had two surgical procedures and I've had 3 (D&CS) and ive just started college again. I'm not sure who I go to? It needs to be sorted some hospitals do not do enough.

OP posts:

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:27

Thank you seriousstuff. I'm at work experience until 7 so I will look after and call them tomorrow (if thats what you do).

OP posts:

DreamingOfTheMaldives · 13/03/2013 15:31

So sorry for what you've been through. I think it is only through making complaints and them accepting responsibility and looking at what went wrong in their procedures that they will improve. Stepping Hill is my maternity hospital so I found your post even more concerning as I am now at the stage where I wouldn't contact the EPU (who were very good and very responsive) but would contact the same dept as you did.

I think before you can complain to the Health Service Ombudsman you need to follow the complaint procedures at the hospital.

I hope you can some answers and an apology.

KatherinaMinola · 13/03/2013 15:31

What a horrific experience. I'm so sorry. Yes, make a complaint. Even if your baby could not have been saved, you should have been told to come in straight away, seen immediately, looked after and generally treated properly. You were treated appallingly.

SeriousStuff · 13/03/2013 15:37

Yes, I think you can talk through it with someone, but they may request a letter afterwards just to have something in writing. Good luck!

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:38

dreaming I have been to the EPU there due to my 2 early miscarriages I found they were good. But I wasn't with them with riley.

kath thank you, they failed to give me a follow up appointment after and I was ill for 3 months had to have 2 D&C's after which didn't work i passed afterbirth on my own and I then got pelvic inflammatory disease.

OP posts:

Catchingmockingbirds · 13/03/2013 15:38

I think you should ask mnhq to remove the name of the hospital from your OP, just incase it affects your complaint in any way. I've heard of people saying while their complaint is being looked at they've not to discuss it, I'm not sure why though.

SeriousStuff · 13/03/2013 15:38

...also as DreamingOfTheMaldives said, you may need to complain to the hospital first, but the Ombudsman will tell you if this is the case.

Newmum2013 · 13/03/2013 15:40

Sorry to hear your sad news. I think you definitely have a case there. Sending lots of love x

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:40

Thank you seriousstuff. I hope I have a positive outcome so others who attend {[withdrawn at Op's request}} l won't experience what I have!

OP posts:

Catchingmockingbirds · 13/03/2013 15:42

Just finished reading your post now, I'm so sorry you lost your little boy

Yes I think you should definitely make a complaint. Did your mum come with you in to the hospital?

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:42

Catching how do I do that? Didnt think of that.

Thank you newmum. x

OP posts:

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 15:44

My partner did and mum did.

OP posts:

Catchingmockingbirds · 13/03/2013 15:52

You can report your own thread to mnhq up at the top of the page underneath your OP and ask them to remove the name.

Your DP and DM could be witnesses or write supporting statements then if you needed them to.

BentleyBelly · 13/03/2013 16:02

Sorry to hear you went through all this. Does the hospital have a PALS you could contact for advice?

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 16:06

Canthey rwmove just the hospital name?

OP posts:

Catchingmockingbirds · 13/03/2013 16:12

Yes

HavingALittleFaithBaby · 13/03/2013 17:45

Hello, our paths have crossed before on MN. I am very sorry for your losses.

I think you also need to think about what you hope to achieve from your complaint. Do you want an apology? Compensation? I think you have grounds to complain, definitely. Have you talked to Pals? They are the patient advice and liaison service and they will help you to understand the complaints process and how to proceed.

Paradisefound · 13/03/2013 17:52

I am sorry for what you have been through. I think you should complain. You are rightly angry and upset, if you do something about it, hopefully you will feel a bit better and be able to move on. You should have been treated better. I don't think you will be financially compensated but you may force the hospital to improve maternity services..which would be a good thing. PALS are who you need to contact first. Good luck!

ruledbyheart · 13/03/2013 18:15

I'm so sorry for your lose and the way the hospital dealt with it was atrocious I would certainly make a complaint but please be aware that in the uk a pregnancy is not viable until 24weeks and anything that happens prior to this to stop miscarriage or stillbirth is at the discretion of the hospital so you may not get the outcome you want or deserve.
Hth

Original poster

SleepyDeer · 13/03/2013 18:38

Thank you, my aim is to improve the services and make sure pregnant women get the correct care for their needs!

Ruled. I know a pregnancy is not viable until 24 weeks, but they could of put q cervical stitch in which could of lasted until 37+. My little boy had a healthy heart beat, he passed away during birth. X

OP posts:

MorganLeFey · 13/03/2013 22:47

Sorry for your loss.

As people have said, PALS are the people to contact first of all if you want things to be formal and for them to be supporting you & it sounds like you need an apology if things went wrong (like waiting too long for things to be checked or being deterred from coming in when your symptoms suggested assessment was needed etc.), to know that things may change and to explain a bit more about what actually happened.

Although a more tentative first step could also be to ask your GP to get you an appointment for a 'debrief' with an Obstetrician in the department. At some places this would be arranged routinely following late miscarriage or stillbirth.

There are lots 'could ofs' and 'what ifs' that may still be difficult though - even cervical stitches aren't failsafe - they're not often put in as an 'emergency' type procedure & sometimes they go in, only to need to be taken out for an inevitable to still happen.

Flip

1 2