Substandard Maternity Care and Claiming Compensation
The recent report following the review of maternity services at Nottingham University hospitals NHS Trust was yet more evidence that maternity services continue to struggle to provide competent and appropriate care.
Criticisms of maternity care
A range of what might be described as absolutely fundamental aspects of quality maternity care were identified within the report as consistently lacking, resulting in damage and even fatalities of both babies and mothers.
Criticisms included failing to listen to the concerns of the women who were giving birth within the facilities. Consequently, the government has now committed 'to rolling out Martha's Rule across maternity and neonatal wards in England to ensure that every patient (or family) can request a rapid review from an independent medical team if a baby or mother's condition is deteriorating and they are concerned this is not being listened to.'
The management of maternity services at the Trust came under particular fire and were identified as 'invisible, unapproachable, unresponsive, ignored concerns and bullying' amongst others.
More than 2,500 families cooperated with the review to describe their experiences of significantly poor care at the Trust, resulting in 'life-changing injuries, serious harm and the deaths of babies.'
The right to compensation
If a patient suffers long-term consequences due to substandard or negligent care, they are legally entitled to claim compensation. This would recognise their pain and suffering as well as identifying any financial losses which they have suffered and are likely to continue to suffer. This could include loss of earnings as well as the costs of treatment or equipment as appropriate.
This basic right applies to experiences within maternity services as much as other specialties within healthcare.
How to make a claim
If you consider that your maternity care was substandard and that this has caused you to suffer symptoms and financial costs and losses which should not have been the case, your first step is to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
They will listen to your account of what has happened to you and its impact and, if appropriate, obtain copies of your medical records in order to investigate the quality of your care.
If it established that your care was negligent and that you have suffered as a result, they will support you in pursuing your claim for compensation.
Free legal advice
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with extensive expertise in maternity claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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