Woman gets £575,000 payout after ‘rushed’ childbirth left her with stoma and PTSD
A mother from Wrexham has been awarded more than half a million pounds in damages for injuries she suffered during childbirth.
Maternity services make up more negligence claims and payments than any other hospital department – and campaigners say it reflects underfunding and overworked staff.
It took Amy Stead, 37, nearly three years to fall pregnant, but childbirth left her with injuries that will last a lifetime.
During her labour in 2019, she suffered a tear so severe it left her with a permanent stoma. What is worse, it was not spotted soon enough.
“It turned out that I had a hole between my vagina and rectum, but it had been completely missed,” Ms Stead said.
She said her obstetrician was “in such a rush to leave” that she missed the injury.
She added: “Had she taken more time and care over what she was doing… she may have seen it, and they could have put me to sleep and repaired it properly.”
Amy says her injury might have been spotted if the obstetrician wasn’t so rushed
Ms Stead suffered from PTSD and was in pain for a year after her son was born.
“It felt like all the joy had been sucked out of having my first baby,” she said.
She decided to sue her hospital, an incredibly difficult decision as it was where she worked. After a five-year litigation, she has now been awarded £575,000 in damages.
Figures for England for 2022/2023 show maternity services made up 13% of clinical negligence claims, more than any other department.
Last year, the NHS spent £1.1bn on maternity negligence payments. To put this in context, the budget for maternity services in England is £3bn.
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Amy says it made her feel like the joy of having her first baby was overshadowed
Litigation lawyers say damages are often high because of the physical and psychological impact the injuries have.
Ruth Powell, head of clinical negligence at the law firm Hugh James, says litigation is “gruelling” for people, with a “really high bar” to prove a claim.
Many mothers never seek legal advice.
“Middle class, white women who have the confidence and the background to challenge things, it’s much easier for them,” said Ms Powell.
“There’s a massive number of women, perhaps English isn’t their first language… they don’t talk to anybody about it.”
Campaigners are calling for change.
Rachel McGrath says maternity services are dealing with ‘massive underfunding and staffing issues’
Chair of the Birth Trauma Association, Rachael McGrath, was awarded damages after her twins were born.
She blames “massive underfunding and staffing issues” for the high levels of litigation.
“Why is it easier to pay out on maternity litigation than invest from the bottom up?” asked Ms McGrath.
“We are looking at staff, a workforce, who are compassion-fatigued because they are not supported appropriately in their roles and that is leading to trauma and an unsafe system.”
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A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said: “We’re committed to ensuring all women receive safe and compassionate care from maternity services and we’ve made progress in improving outcomes.
“We are determined to further improve maternity services. That’s why it is prioritised in our Women’s Health Strategy 2024.“
Ms Stead is relieved her litigation is over and hopes sharing her story will help other mums suffering from birth trauma.
“No amount of money can change that or make that better, but it certainly helps,” she said.
“But you shouldn’t have to go through that to have children, it’s not normal.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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