'My baby was stillborn - I should have spoken up'

Mothers-to-be should always raise any concerns they have, Lucia Ford-Ferrari said

A mother has urged women to voice their concerns after her baby was stillborn due to "avoidable" hospital failings.

At almost 39-weeks pregnant, Lucia Ford-Ferrari went to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath in 2023 complaining of reduced foetal movements but was sent home despite her "gut feeling" that something was wrong.

When she returned with the same worries four days later, medics could not find her baby's heartbeat.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust apologised to Lucia and her husband George for the "devastating loss" of their daughter, Freya.

The trust said it had "listened, learned and made improvements" following an investigation into what happened.

A five-figure settlement has also been given to the family.

'A piece of me is gone'

Ms Ford-Ferrari told the BBC that she was happy the trust had acknowledged its mistakes, but it was "never going to bring Freya back".

"A piece of me is gone. Parents should never lose their children," she said.

The 37-year-old said she felt she should have pressed medics to investigate more but was "afraid to challenge them".

She added that when she got pregnant a second time, they did not name the baby until she was born as they were so anxious.

Freya was one of nine babies who died at hospitals run by the trust between 2021 and 2023.

Freya was born stillborn in July

Ms Ford-Ferrari said she had to go through a "very difficult" 11-hour labour at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton to deliver her stillborn baby on 28 July 2023.

"I remember thinking it's so unfair that I'm going through this pain without having her," she said.

Freya weighed about 5lb (2.3kg), despite two earlier growth scans at the Princess Royal Hospital recording she was developing normally.

The average weight of a baby in the UK is about 7lb 7oz (3.4kg).

The trust said because of what happened to Freya, it had made "important improvements" to ultrasound protocols, education and training, and information sharing.

"These changes are now a part of how we work every day," it added.

'Significant errors'

An internal investigation by the trust later found "significant errors" with measurements taken during ultrasound scans which, if detected, could have spotted Freya's limited growth.

The trust admitted that if Ms Ford-Ferrari been referred for review by an obstetrician when she attended hospital on 21 July, Freya's death, "on the balance of probabilities", could have been avoided.

Ms Ford-Ferrari said expectant mothers should trust their instincts and always speak up to medics.

"If a mum-to-be decides to ask questions that save her baby, then it's worth me sharing my story - even if it's just one," she said.

A "rapid" national inquiry into NHS maternity services, including those in Sussex, was announced by the government in June.