NHS told first-time mother to book appointment to give birth to her dead baby - The Independent

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A first-time mother whose unborn baby died was sent home from the hospital with a booklet for bereaved parents and told to book an appointment to give birth.

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust conceded a breach of duty over the treatment of Danielle Brown, and accepted that her daughter, Maisie, would have survived had her mother not been discharged during her first admission.

Ms Brown, a 31-year-old barista from North Shields, North Tyneside, and her partner, Anthony Miller, have received an undisclosed settlement from the trust.

Ms Brown said: “When it was confirmed Maisie had died, we burst into tears.

“Nobody explained what had happened to Maisie. I was just given a booklet for bereaved parents and told to book a slot to give birth.

“Hearing that with no compassion angered me so much.”

Seven months into the pregnancy, in February 2023, Ms Brown felt unwell and attended the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), Newcastle, where she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication. Monitoring had also raised concerns about Maisie’s heart rate.

The following day, a consultant obstetrician said Ms Brown should remain in hospital until she gave birth, but she was discharged 24 hours later on February 14 following a review by a different consultant.

A day later, Ms Brown phoned the RVI’s maternity assessment unit with more concerns but was told she probably had a stomach bug.

She insisted on being seen and returned to the hospital, waited 90 minutes to be assessed and was told medics could not find Maisie’s heartbeat.

Ms Brown and Mr Miller were told that she had died.

The devastated mother returned to the hospital on February 17 to give birth to Maisie following a 10-hour labour.

Ms Brown said: “When me and Anthony found out I was expecting we were overjoyed.

“We bought things for Maisie’s nursery, bought clothes and had a gender reveal party. It was such a happy time for the whole family.

“Although I knew I was at risk of pre-eclampsia, everything seemed to be going well until I woke up with swelling.

“When I was transferred to RVI, I thought we’d be well looked after.

“A consultant told me I wasn’t well and needed to stay in hospital until I had my baby, so when I was sent home, I was concerned – but I trusted what I was being told.

“When I started suffering from pain, I rang the maternity unit but couldn’t get through for an hour.

“When I explained my symptoms, I was dismissed and told I had a stomach bug.

“When I finally had a scan, the screen was turned away and there was no sound. I said to Ant: ‘I think she’s gone’.”

Early signs of pre-eclampsia include high blood pressure (hypertension) and having protein in your urine.