'No case' on some Shropshire midwife misconduct charges

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust's maternity services are being reviewed

Three midwives accused of misconduct have had some of the charges against them dropped.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SaTH) workers appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) over the care of a mother and her son, who died in 2015.

Laura Jones, Hayley Lacey and Kerry Davies were found to have no case to answer for some charges including that the baby's chance of survival suffered.

The hearing will resume in January.

The trio were not accused of causing the baby's death, and had admitted and denied some of the charges put forward by the NMC.

During the hearing, which began on 30 October, they were found to have no case to answer on some allegations.

Following a hearing to establish the facts of the case, proceedings were adjourned until the start of 2019, when the panel will review the charges that have been denied and decide whether the midwives fitness to practise is impaired.

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The child, referred to as Baby K, died four days after being born at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital on 19 August 2015, the hearing in London was told.

It heard his grandmother was worried about the care given by midwives and used her nursing experience to make notes afterwards.

Comparing those with notes made by Ms Jones and Ms Lacey, the NMC accuses the pair of falsifying records of the babies heart rate and his mother, Patient A's, pulse.

Both deny any dishonesty.

Ms Davies admits that she should have carried out a further check shortly before the birth but denies misconduct.

The baby died four days after being born at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital

The hearing was in connection with a review of maternity care at SaTH, ordered by the Health Secretary in 2017 following a series of baby deaths.

It has since expanded, after over 200 families came forward with concerns over care.

Final charges put to the midwives:

Ms Lacey

·Failure to communicate with another midwife to ensure continuous care was provided to Patient A - Denied

·Recording the foetal heart rate and maternal pulse at four instances - Admitted and found proved

·Dishonestly making those records - Denied

·Failing to complete written handover notes in respect of Patient A - Admitted and found proved

Ms Jones

·Did not refer or transfer Patient A to a Consultant Led Unit after two readings showed high blood pressure - Admitted and found proved

·Failing to record the foetal heart rate at two times - Denied

·Failing to ensure continuous care was provided to Patient A - Denied

·Failing to complete written handover notes in respect of Patient A - Admitted and found proved

·Arranging the transfer of Patient A to the Consultant Led Unit in a wheelchair and calling a porter to assist with moving - No case to answer

·Recording the foetal heart rate at nine separate times - Six admitted and found proved, three no case to answer

·Recording the mother's pulse at two times - One admitted and found proved, one no case to answer

·Dishonestly making those records - Denied

Ms Davies

·Arranging the transfer of Patient A to the Consultant Led Unit in a wheelchair and calling a porter to assist with moving - Admitted but no case to answer

·Failing to perform a test on the baby's heart rate - Admitted and found proved

·These actions led to a loss of chance of survival of Baby K - No case to answer