£40,000 in compensation for mother who suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

C, who was a first-time mother, delivered her baby naturally after a few long hours of a very slow labour. She was of course very happy about the birth of her baby, but noted some early signs of trouble at this early stage. C thought that the Midwife who delivered the placenta had “applied unnecessary force” causing her significant pain.

With the birth safely behind her, C was all set to enjoy the first hours of her daughter’s life. However, just three hours later she was taken into the operating theatre after her husband called for urgent help as C had been rapidly losing blood. The surgeons discovered and removed a “chunk of placenta”. The surgery was ultimately successful, but C’s bleeding took a while to control and she lost approximately 3 litres of blood in total. C was very weak after the surgery and had to stay in the hospital’s High Dependency Unit for nine days.

When she eventually went home to her newborn daughter and husband. C suffered with PTSD and had nightmares in which we relived the events at the hospital. She found it very difficult to care for her baby and could not breastfeed.

Feeling that she had been robbed of what the invaluable first months of her daughter’s life, C contacted our Clinical Negligence team. Solicitor Hannah Blackwell established very quickly that C had a strong case, and helped the client bring an action against the hospital.

The hospital admitted that it had mismanaged the birth of C’s daughter and failed to monitor the mother properly afterwards. The out of Court settlement of £40,000 included £25,000 for pain and suffering as well as damages for the care provided by her husband and friends, as well the costs of C’s future psychotherapy.

The settlement was of course not even a close alternative to those precious first months, but C felt that is was going to help her fully recover and cope in the future.