Maternity Inquiry Must Include Care Culture - Dad

The begetter of a babe woman who died 5 days aft she was calved successful a Leeds infirmary has said he wants an independent enquiry into maternity services to attraction connected civilization arsenic good arsenic imaginable negligence.

Freyja Green died successful March 2019 aft a traumatic commencement astatine St James's University Hospital.

Her father, Damon Green, who is portion of a run group calling for action complete failings successful maternity services tally by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said his family had received mediocre bereavement attraction pursuing Freyja's death.

While an inquest recovered nary aesculapian negligence, nan spot has apologised for nan bereavement attraction Freyja's parents experienced, adding it was "deeply sorry for nan tragic loss".

In October, Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed location would beryllium an independent inquiry into nan trust's maternity units.

Mr Green said he felt nan spot was much concerned pinch protecting its estimation than pinch bereaved families, and suggested location was a "culture of arrogance".

He said a resident expert - formerly known arsenic a inferior doctor, a personification who has completed their aesculapian grade and is now moving - attempted to manually rotate Freyja successful nan commencement canal earlier she was past taken to theatre for a forceps delivery.

The babe needed resuscitation and tests revealed she had superior cervix and spinal injuries from nan forceps.

"There were nary cries, nary sound," Mr Green said.

"Just beeping machines, hushed whispers and a batch of heaviness successful nan air.

"That was erstwhile it really deed home. When location was nary outcry from Freyja, that was really rather hard."

After a mates of hours Mr Green said he and Freyja's mother were told nan babe had a cervix and spine fracture and was not breathing connected her ain truthful needed to beryllium moved to Leeds General Infirmary's master unit.

The babe had much tests and connected nan 3rd time a advisor sat nan parents down and explained her spine was fractured successful 3 places and her spinal cord severed.

"We were told she would ne'er locomotion aliases talk aliases respire connected her own," Mr Green said.

"She'd perpetually beryllium astatine nan infirmary and would ne'er person a life."

Freyja's life support was removed and she died connected 15 March 2019.

Mr Green said location was "no empathy successful that discussion" and he thought immoderate NHS unit could beryllium "desensitised" to giving bad news.

He said they were offered very small bereavement support and astatine his daughter's inquest he recovered infirmary notes had been changed, but nan resident expert progressive successful nan commencement had not been required to be nan hearing.

An inquest recovered Freyja died because of "fractures and commencement trauma" alternatively than aesculapian negligence, but nan infirmary has apologised for nan bereavement care.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Magnus Harrison said Freyja died from a uncommon complication during forceps transportation which was "an absolute tragedy" and said nan spot was "deeply sorry for nan tragic loss".

He said: "Freyja's family did not person due bereavement support and connection during their care, and for this we sincerely apologise."

Dr Harrison said nan spot was "committed to doing better" and family support from bereavement midwives had improved.

He said it was a privilege successful nan trust's maternity and neonatal betterment plans.

Mr Green said he was still unhappy that nan spot had not apologised for nan events during nan commencement itself, and a much elder medic should person stepped successful earlier.

The enquiry follows a BBC investigation into perchance preventable deaths astatine nan trust.

"Everybody is really happy it's going forward," Mr Green said.

"In our lawsuit I do judge things were hidden, brushed aside."

Mr Green said he would beryllium putting questions to nan trust's caller main executive, Brendan Brown.

"If [the infirmary and maternity services] hadn't failed, my small woman would still beryllium here," he said.

In a connection pursuing nan enquiry announcement, nan spot told nan BBC nan immense mostly of births astatine Leeds were safe, and deaths of mothers and babies were fortunately very rare.

It added that Leeds cares for a higher measurement of babies pinch analyzable conditions arsenic it is 1 of a "handful of master centres" successful nan UK.