Woman whose baby died classified as low risk in hospital records

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. 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. Miss Noad was seen by locum consultant Dr Bramara Guruwadayarhalli in June 2011, who has told the inquest she did not have Miss Noad’s two previous births notes when she saw her. Dr Guruwadayarhalli said she wrote out a care plan but did not communicate it to community midwives and Miss Noad’s GP.

Hospital midwife Faye Gibbons told the inquest she cared for Miss Noad when she was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary on November 19 to have baby Reece induced. Faye Gibbons told the inquest she read Miss Noad’s notes, adding: “It was just a query shoulder dystocia and she had had her consultant appointment and had been referred to midwife-led care. There had been no further plan in place to indicate she was high risk.”

Deputy West Yorkshire coroner Melanie Williamson asked Faye Gibbons: “Just looking at the entry from the consultant, she wrote ‘previous history of shoulder dystocia.’ It was your view was it this was still a low-risk birth.?”

Faye Gibbons replied: “Yes.” The inquest continues.