Stockport hospital negligence

A hospital trust admitted its negligence after the death of a couple's unborn child in January 2004.

Katherine and Mark Voight's unborn son died at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's Corbar Maternity Unit at Buxton Hospital following several accounts of below-standard treatment.

The couple visited the hospital in December 2003 for an antenatal scan where they were told they would need further assistance.

Following a second scan, it was found that there was reduced fluid around the baby, but neither the couple nor midwives were informed of this potential problem.

On 15 January Katherine began with contractions. The baby was not sufficiently monitored, the heart rate was not checked and no urine tests were taken. Katherine was sent home that same day.

The next day Katherine contacted the Corbar maternity unit as she was concerned her child had stopped moving. The couple went to the hospital and waited nearly an hour for a scan, when they were informed that their baby had died.

The hospital admitted that if the problems in the scan had been monitored by an obstetrician, it was likely that their child would have been born a healthy boy.

A post mortem revealed that the death was most likely caused by a problem with the placenta.

The hospital trust has paid the couple an undisclosed sum.

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