A pregnant woman was sent home from the hospital still carrying her deceased baby and told to book an appointment to give birth later in the week. Danielle Brown, 31, had returned to the maternity unit because she was still feeling unwell after being previously discharged despite having pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening condition.
Doctors discovered her baby had died after she insisted on being seen again. Brown described the experience as devastating, stating, "Don't, just take that family and help them. Help them."
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust has apologized for the care, admitting that "aspects of the care we provided fell short" of expected standards. Legal executive Faisal Ali commented that the trust admitted Brown should not have been discharged, and had she remained in the hospital, the need for timely delivery would have been identified, and the baby would have been born alive.
Brown and her partner, Anthony Miller, were overjoyed when they learned they were expecting a baby girl they planned to name Maisie. However, at seven months pregnant in February 2023, Brown experienced swelling in her face, hands, and feet, indicative of pre-eclampsia.
They presented at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital where concerns about Maisie's heart rate led to an emergency cesarean section being recommended. Brown was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle for the procedure. However, upon arrival, she was admitted to a ward and the following day, a doctor sent her home.
Within 24 hours, Brown felt unwell again. After initially being told she might have a stomach bug, she insisted on being examined. During a scan, with the screen turned away from her and no sound, she realized her baby had died. Doctors confirmed there was no heartbeat.
Instead of delivering the baby, Brown was reportedly given a phone number and instructed to call on Friday morning to book an appointment for the birth. The couple spent two days at home grappling with the loss, holding their unborn daughter and feeling her movements, knowing she was no longer alive.
Two days later, after a 10-hour labor, Brown gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. "When Maisie was born the room was silent," she said. "Seeing Maisie was bittersweet. She was perfect. I told her she was beautiful and I loved her."
The couple also experienced further distress when leaving the hospital, having to walk past other parents with their newborns. They have called for hospitals to provide alternative exits for grieving mothers.
An NHS England spokesperson called the care failings "unacceptable" and offered their deepest sympathies to the family. The spokesperson stated that anyone experiencing the loss of a baby should receive support from a specialist maternity team to make choices about their care.
The Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust stated that following a review in 2023, they improved urgent assessment procedures for women with unexpected symptoms or suspected complications and introduced quicker escalation protocols.