Rebecca Clarkson Is Speaking Out After NHS Trust Admitted Failings Caused Death Of Baby Ava

A 42-year-old woman lost her overdue baby after midwives did not give her appropriate extra care because she didn’t look her age.

As an older mother-to-be, Rebecca Clarkson’s pregnancy should have been under consultant-led care. Had that been the case, the first-time mum would have been induced at 40 weeks and more than likely have given birth to a healthy baby girl – Ava.

But midwives at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust failed to take account of Rebecca’s age which, coupled with a previous miscarriage at 12 weeks in 2014 should have seen her referred for consultant care in line with national guidance.

The devastated mum instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the care under Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which led to Ava being stillborn shortly before midnight on January 2 last year.

Rebecca, from Sheffield, now 43, and husband David, 49, were told baby Ava had died on New Year’s Day 2016 – just one day after monitoring showed that baby Ava was alive and well.

The bereaved parents say they were then told by staff that they had not thought the first-time mum was in her forties due to her youthful appearance.

Following a letter from Irwin Mitchell setting out the failings, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation admitted that, in all likelihood, if it was not for the negligence of staff at the hospital, Rebecca would have been booked for induction at 40 weeks gestation and would have delivered a healthy baby daughter.

Rebecca said: “The pain of losing Ava is indescribable and I’m not sure we’ll ever really come to terms with it, especially knowing that things could have been so different had I received the proper care.

“Now David and I face the prospect of never being parents, not just because of age, but the fear of reliving our nightmare.

“Ava was and will always be out precious little girl and we will cherish the short time we had with her, despite our anguish at the time. My biggest wish now is that no other mother of my age suffers the same failings and therefore the same terrible loss.

“It’s too late for our daughter but if patient safety could be improved to save others, that’s a legacy we can hold on to.”

Rebecca discovered she was pregnant on April 29, 2015 and, following an appointment with her GP, was given a due date of Christmas day.

On New Year’s Day 2016, Rebecca went to the labour ward at Jessop Wing. Doctors searched for a foetal heartbeat, but despite trying for five minutes none could be found. After an ultrasound scan confirmed the tragic news, Rebecca and husband David were told that their daughter had died.

After labouring for what Rebecca describes as “38 hours of hell”, she was taken for an emergency caesarean section and she delivered Ava late the following night. Rebecca then spent two days on the ward before being discharged on January 5.

The Trust conducted an internal review into Rebecca’s care. The review team concluded that had she been booked under consultant-led care she would have been offered induction at 40 weeks.

The report also concluded that “there were a number of opportunities when her age could have been identified and her care pathway amended.” It was noted that the current paperwork carries the patient’s date of birth only and not age.

The Trust returned two recommendations, the first being that staff should ask women attending Jessop Wing their age and not just date of birth, and that documentation should flag the patient’s age also.

Expert Opinion

“The loss of Ava has been devastating for Rebecca, David and their families, and their pain has been compounded by knowing that had Rebecca been referred for consultant-led care in line with hospital and national guidelines, little Ava would likely be alive today.

“With so many chances to identify Rebecca’s age, there should have been plenty of opportunities to correct her care plan. It is clear in this case that she, David and Ava were incredibly and irrevocably let down.

“We welcome the Trust’s decision to accept its failings and spare Rebecca and David the pain of reliving their ordeal through protracted legal action. And we hope that the recommendations from the Trust’s own review will prevent another family having to go through a similar tragedy.

“Of course this sadly comes all too late for Rebecca and David but they now hope every opportunity will be taken to learn lessons from Ava’s tragic loss.” Anne Brundell - Solicitor

If you or your child have suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence, our medical negligence solicitors could help you claim compensation. See our Birth Injury Claims page for more information.