Pinderfields Hospital: NHS Trust apologises after audit finds more than 50 injured pregnant women were left without appropriate aftercare

The audit, which was obtained as part of ongoing investigations into one patient’s care in 2021, found that 52 women who had experienced third or fourth degree perineal tears during childbirth at the Wakefield hospital between January 2020 and December 2022 had not been referred for post-natal urogynaecology and physiotherapy follow up, which should be standard practice.

This means that 15 per cent of patients who required a referral did not receive one.

The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, which runs Pinderfields Hospital, has apologised, adding that “it was committed to providing the best possible care and to making improvements”.

In a statement Talib Yaseen, chief nursing officer at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: “Unfortunately as litigation is ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment on this specific case.

"But we can confirm that, following an internal service assurance audit, we identified 52 women, out of the 17,648 who birthed at The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust between January 2020 and December 2022, who had experienced a third or fourth degree perineal tear during childbirth, where the required postnatal referrals to both the urogynaecology and physiotherapy services had not been made.

“We have since communicated with those affected to apologise and to explain what had happened, offering a follow-up appointment. Our sympathies are with those affected. We are committed to providing the best possible care to our patients and to making improvements whenever this falls short.”

Courteney Coe, an expert medical negligence lawyer at law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is representing some of the women affected, said: “While we welcome the trust’s pledge to make improvements, it remains of concern that such a large proportion of patients who have suffered these injuries haven’t received the appropriate level of care.

“It’s important that Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust takes action to ensure that future patients get the care they need. Understandably those affected by this audit are likely to have questions. It’s now vital that they receive the support they require to not only be provided with the answers they deserve but, where appropriate, ongoing treatment and care for their injuries.”