Mum receives compensation for hospital’s drug error during childbirth

J planned to have her first baby naturally, using pain medication only. However, her plans were severely disrupted when a Midwife made an error. Our Clinical Negligence team stepped in to help J get compensation for the pain and anxiety it has caused her.

J was in the early stages of giving birth when a Midwife made an error and, instead of giving her an injection of pain medication, injected her with a drug which induces contractions. J started to suffer with massive contractions and had to be rushed to theatre for an emergency caesarean section as it was noted that her baby was starting to show signs of distress.

J’s daughter was delivered in poor condition but appeared to make a good recovery. J herself required an emergency caesarean section which left her with scarring. She also required a longer recovery period compared to what it would have been if, as planned, she had had her baby naturally. On top of physical pain and discomfort, J also found that she had suffered psychologically. It was not known if her daughter had suffered any harm as a result of the events during the birth. J knew that only time would tell as her baby grew older, and she was extremely anxious about her child’s health and future.

J’s case was handled by our Clinical Negligence team. Hannah Blackwell, who took on the case, was very keen from the start of spare J the added worry of going through complicated court procedures. A settlement of £15,000 was agreed out of court to compensate J for her injuries and care she required after labour. The experts’ opinion was that J would still remain anxious about her daughter’s health, which is why the settlement also provided for the cost of future psychological treatment.