Changes at hospital trust after baby death tragedy

Joanne Noad’s baby son Reece Noad-Caine died from brain damage after being starved of oxygen when he became stuck during birth due to shoulder dystocia on November 20 2011, an inquest at Wakefield heard.

Miss Noad had suffered problems with shoulder dystocia when she gave birth to a previous child four-and-a-half-years before.

The inquest has heard how, in April 2011, community midwife Katherine Hewitson had referred Miss Noad to a consultant and noted ‘query shoulder dystocia’ on her notes. But the inquest heard Mrs Hewitson had ticked the low risk box on Miss Noad’s notes.

Miss Noad was seen by locum consultant Dr Bramara Guruwadayarhalli in June 2011, who said she did not have access to paper records of Miss Noad’s two previous births notes when she saw her. The inquest heard Dr Guruwadayarhalli was not aware Miss Noad’s notes were on a computerised system.

Speaking about the trusts’s report following Reece’s death, Dr Collette Sparey, consultant obstetrician at Leeds General Infirmary, said the trust is working on introducing a computerised system so midwives can access records of mothers’ previous births.

Dr Sparey said it has been recommended that all trust staff have access to electronic medical records.

The inquest was told a new risk assessment has been introduced for pregnant mothers which sets out what is expected if a previous birth has involved shoulder dystocia. Dr Sparey said: “The shoulder dystocia meant she should have been categorised as high risk.”

The inquest continues.