Hospital bosses have finally apologised after a baby was delivered stillborn due to a catalogue of mistakes made by staff.
Becky Davies, 29, called Kings Mill Hospital in December 2016 to say she was in pain and her waters had broke.
But staff wrongly insisted she wasn’t in labour – causing delays which meant she went hours without vital care.
Mrs Davies placenta then ruptured, starving her daughter Freya of oxygen leading to her death.
And now after a year and a half, hospital bosses have broken their silence and apologised.
Heartache: Becky Davies, pictured above with her daughter Freya after she was delivered stillborn in December 2016
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust promised Mrs Davies and her husband Jordan they would issue an apology in November 2017.
However the couple say they only received the letter this month, 18 months since the tragedy.
Richard Mitchell, chief executive of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, wrote to say sorry for the ‘substandard care’ Mrs Davies received and acknowledged that that hospital ‘missed opportunities’ to ‘properly react to the risks you and baby Freya faced’.
Devastating: Mrs Davies, pictured with Freya in December 2016, has only just received an apology from Kings Mill Hospital
He added: ‘Had we reacted sooner it would have increased the chances for baby Freya to survive. I cannot imagine how heartbreaking this is for you and your family.’
Mr Mitchell also said that the Trust had ‘identified and acted upon opportunities to improve’ maternity care.
Mrs Davies, from Mansfield, said: ‘We have always said that an apology would never bring Freya back.
‘However, for us to be told that an apology would be forthcoming and then not to hear anything for six months made us feel like our concerns were not being taken seriously again by the hospital.
‘We will never get over losing Freya and there is not a day goes by where we don’t think of her and all the memories we could be creating as a family. Although Freya is not here she will always be a part of our family.
‘It’s so important that if any women feel like their concerns are not being taken seriously, they don’t take no for an answer. I hope that no other families have to suffer the devastation that our family have.’
Mrs Davies telephoned the hospital at about 10am on 17 December, 2016, on her birthday, saying her waters broke at home.
Never forget: The Davies family have a memorial in their home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, to remember their daughter Freya
But despite telling midwives as her pain increased that she was in labour, they insisted she was not and suggested that she call back later.
At about 6pm she was told to attend hospital following a further phone call.
Following an examination it was confirmed Becky was in labour and she was admitted to the maternity unit.
Mrs Davies continued to be monitored on 18 December and awoke at around 1am on December 19 in severe pain. However, she was told she was not in labour.
Several heart rate scans were performed but each time staff could not locate Freya’s heartbeat.
Mrs Davies made repeated pleas to be seen by a doctor. She was finally taken to the birthing unit and gave birth to Freya just after 9am, however, doctors could not resuscitate her daughter.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched a investigation and concluded that ‘human error led to inadequate care being assessed, planned and implemented which led to the sad death’ of Freya.
Kimberley Nightingale, from law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represented the family, said: ‘Whilst we are pleased that the Trust admitted liability we feel that it could have acted with more urgency to apologise to Becky, moving to reassure her that it had learned lessons from Freya’s tragic death.
‘Sadly, we see through our work that stillbirths and neonatal deaths are still a significant issue in the UK. Becky and Jordan want to do everything they can to make sure what they went through doesn’t happen to other parents..’
Mr and Mrs Davies spoke out for SANDS Awareness Month, which attempts to increase awareness of stillbirth and neonatal deaths and the impact these tragic situations can have on the parents involved.
The month-long event raises funds that enable the charity to support anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth.
The organisation provides vital emotional support and information for parents, grandparents, siblings, children, families and friends, health professionals and others.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it had identified five lessons from Becky’s care, including that concerns should be escalated if unease persists; women with a high-risk pregnancy should have a plan of care made by the registrar/consultant in triage and that record keeping can be improved.
Medical director Andy Haynes said: ‘We are extremely sorry for Becky and her family’s devastating loss, there are no real words to describe the loss of a baby and we understand how difficult this must be.
‘A full incident investigation was carried out, which highlighted some aspects of care that were not delivered to the standards we expect. Actions have been taken to address these and we have shared the learning widely throughout the maternity service.’
:: For free and confidential advice, contact Citizens Advice Bureau on 0345 404 0506 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk