NEWCASTLE TRUST ADMITS FAILINGS CAUSED BABY'S DEATH

A mother was sent home from hospital and told to book a slot to give birth after her unborn baby died, following failings in her care, a legal settlement has revealed. Danielle Brown was 29 weeks pregnant when her daughter, Maisie, died in February 2023 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has admitted a breach of duty, acknowledging that Maisie would have survived had Ms Brown not been improperly discharged. The trust has paid Ms Brown and her partner, Anthony Miller, an undisclosed settlement.

Ms Brown developed severe swelling seven months into her pregnancy and was admitted to the RVI, where she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and monitoring raised concerns about Maisie's heart rate. A consultant initially advised she remain in hospital until giving birth, but a different consultant discharged her a day later, on 14 February. When her condition deteriorated the next day, she called the maternity assessment unit and was told she likely had a stomach bug. She returned to hospital, waited 90 minutes for assessment, and scans then confirmed Maisie had died. "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," Ms Brown said.

Ms Brown returned to the RVI on 17 February and gave birth to Maisie after a 10-hour labour. "After saying goodbye to Maisie, we had to walk through a labour ward seeing parents going home with their babies," she said. Ms Brown and Mr Miller had been preparing for their daughter's arrival before the failings occurred. Ms Brown, a first-time mother, worked as a barista in North Shields.