Parents of baby delivered brain dead urge health trust to learn lessons

The parents of Imogen Skelcher launched legal action against the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, after their daughter suffered irreversible brain damage in the womb.

An independent report found staff at the hospital had failed to spot Imogen’s heart rate was dangerously low.

Her mother Samantha Hewings suffered a ruptured uterus during the birth in March 2011, and Imogen was eventually delivered by Caesarean section.

Two days after the birth, Imogen’s parents Miss Hewings, 27, and David Skelcher, decided to switch off life support.

Their lawyers Irwin Mitchell said the trust had agreed a payment, running to five figures, to pay for grief counselling.

The trust offered its “profound apologies for the failings in care provided” to the couple, saying lessons had been learned.

The report found a series of failings and made a number of recommendations for improvements on labour wards.

Miss Hewings said: “I knew something wasn’t right. I was so distracted with the pain I didn’t notice the heart monitor and how low Imogen’s heart rate was dropping. Nothing can turn back the clock, but we just hope that the hospital trust has learnt lessons so the same tragedy won’t happen again.”

Imogen’s parents later decided to donate their daughter’s organs.