Obstetric Negligence and Birth Tear Compensation Claims
Awareness of the need to provide scrupulous care of a woman's perineum during vaginal childbirth is absolutely essential. Vaginal childbirth puts a woman at risk of a severe, life-changing injury and, if medical professionals do not identify and repair the damage, they may be regarded as having been negligent.
The OASI Care Bundle, developed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, in conjunction with the Royal College of Midwives and Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, identifies the key elements of perineal care during vaginal childbirth.
OASI Care Bundle
- Inform the woman about OASI and what steps can be taken to minimise her risk
- When indicated, episiotomy should be performed mediolaterally at a 60 degree angle at crowning
- Documented use of manual perineum protection (for assisted births, and spontaneous births where the woman does not object and the birth position prevents this)
- Following birth, the perineum should be examined and any tears graded according to the RCOG guidance. The examination should include a per rectum check even when the perineum appears intact and this should be documented in the notes
Medical examination and severe birth tears
The significance of the per rectum examination is due to the need to diagnose any damage to the anal muscles. A per rectum check is a digital rectal examination which assesses whether the muscles controlling the bowel have been damaged.
Without this examination it is possible that the new mother may have suffered a tear from the vagina which has caused injury to the anus and which remains undiagnosed and unrepaired.
Without a skilled surgical repair, a woman may suffer permanent bowel problems which can severely reduce her quality of life and cause significant emotional trauma.
Physical symptoms may include the following:
- Urgency when needing to defecate
- Incontinence of both wind and faeces
- Perineal infections
- Discomfort during sexual intercourse
Claiming compensation
As well as the emotional impact, symptoms such as these can cause wide-ranging difficulties in many aspects of life including employment and can cause a woman to experience a significant loss of income.
If the on-going nature of the symptoms is due to substandard medical care, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation which would take account of the financial losses.
Speak to a specialist solicitor
Here at Glynns Solicitors, we have extensive expertise in severe perineal tear negligence. As a dedicated medical negligence legal practice we have years of experience in pursuing compensation for these life-changing injuries.
Contact us today if you or a loved one are struggling with the effects of negligent medical care of a maternal birth tear.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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