Failings at Cwm Taf maternity services ‘affected two-thirds of women’

A report has found that two-thirds of women at the centre of a review into maternity services at a Welsh health board could have had very different outcomes if they had received better care.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board’s maternity services were placed in special measures since “serious failings” were found two years ago. Concerns emerged in late 2018 that women and babies may have come to harm due to failures to report serious issues and staff shortages.

This triggered a major independent review, which gave a damning verdict on maternity services in the health board area which covers around 450,000 people living in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil.

The report focused on the care of 27 women, the majority of whom were admitted to an intensive care unit during 28 “episodes of care” between January 2016 and September 2018, and found that 19 reviews of maternal care (68 per cent) revealed at least one factor where “different management would reasonably have been expected to alter the outcome”.

Two further reviews of neonatal mortality and morbidity, and stillbirths, will follow later this year. In total, all three independent reviews will look at 160 cases.

Vaughan Gethring, Wales’ Health Minister, said “The report highlights that women weren’t always at the centre of their care and that women weren’t always listened to, and that led to harm that could have been avoided.

“Nothing will be able to change what these women and their families experienced at these two hospitals or the outcome for those families whose babies died or came to harm.

“I am deeply sorry for everything that happened.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s team of medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record. The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of medical negligence. He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in medical negligence claims. Tony also acts as the Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled. Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk. Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no win, no fee solicitors for free legal advice on Freephone 0800 304 7382.