Scarborough mum never got to hold her baby
Sarah Wallace, at her son's grave. Picture by Les Gibbon
A SCARBOROUGH mum whose newborn son died following a series of hospital errors has been awarded a cash settlement.
Sarah Wallace, 29, of Endcliff Crescent, Barrowcliff, never got to hold little Harry while he was alive and was not even aware he was fighting for his life.
She now believes that if he had been born during the day when a consultant was on duty, he would have survived.
Sarah, mum to three other children, said: “It’s heart-breaking that the reason I didn’t get to see Harry before he died was because lack of funding meant there was no one available to take me to the special care baby unit.
“It’s scandalous and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to any other mums.
“I didn’t have the chance to will Harry to live. I couldn’t hug him while he was warm. I didn’t get to see his little toes wriggling.
“They even forgot to take a photo of him while he was alive. All I have is a lock of his hair and his hand and foot prints.”
An independent expert report, commissioned by Sarah’s lawyers Neil Hudgell Solicitors into baby Harry’s death, lists a series of errors by staff at Scarborough Hospital.
These include:
l failure to follow the proper respiratory support procedures.
• failure to transfer him urgently to a specialist unit in Leeds.
• failure to ventilate Harry and to help him breathe by properly putting a tube in his windpipe as his condition deteriorated.
Harry was born eight weeks early by emergency Caesarean section at 10pm on September 10, 2009.
He weighed just 3lbs 11oz and was taken immediately to the special care baby unit.
Sarah and husband Scott, aged 32, a mechanic who restores classic cars, had been delighted to learn she was expecting a little boy.
But she then endured a traumatic pregnancy due to a low-lying placenta, a complication known as placenta previa.
Scott spent a couple of hours with his son before his wife urged him to go home and get some rest. Neither he nor Sarah realised Harry was in difficulty.
Throughout the night, Sarah asked to see her son but was told that because of staff shortages no-one was available to take her from her bed to baby Harry.
Sarah said: “I was kept in the dark. I didn’t know Harry was fighting for his life. I’d have crawled to him on my hands and knees if I’d known. To this day, Scott and I feel like we weren’t there when he needed us.”
Harry died at 6.42am the next morning from breathing difficulties.
The Evening News reported on the tragedy and Sarah’s concerns about lack of care at the time.
Solicitor Chris Moore said: “The evidence clearly shows that there is a strong balance of probabilities that if Harry had been given the appropriate treatment he would have survived.
“This was a preventable tragedy compounded by the lack of communication with the parents.
“Mrs Wallace is traumatized by the fact she never got to hold her baby and never got to bond with him.”
Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust said in a statement that a settlement had been agreed in the case.
It continued: “We regret the circumstances of Harry’s death and we are sorry for the impact this has had on his family.”
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Comments
There are 17 comments to this article
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Renshaw Woods
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:40 AMIt is wrong that damages are the only result to be achieved. Everyone should go for maximum damages against these people. When the damages add up high enough then maybe something will be done to those responsible for costing the nhs so much money. Even if the payments come from insurance, the premiums will go up and up. This will cost the nhs and hopefully will have an effect. A sad state of affairs all round. My condolences Sarah. Time may not heal, but it does help, believe me, i know. :(
ANARCHIST
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 05:55 PMSiuffer Little Children and Come unto me for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven God Bless his Little soul.
scarborough medic
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:19 PMSincere condolence to the family of baby Harry for your tragic loss. To explain a bit of the technicalities, yes most of any payment will come from the NHS Litigation authority. The local trust will pay an excess, just like any insurance arrangement, which I think is about £10,000, so anything over that comes out of central funds. Like on our own insurance policies, whether it's for cars or houses, the hospital gets assessed every year to see what sort of insurance risk it is and how much it has to pay for its cover. Basically, the better risk the hospital is the lower its premium - just like drivers. Last year the hospital was in the highest risk category and had to be given extra time to meet even the lowest level ('CNST Level 1'). It was second worst in the country. Mid Staffordshire was bottom. Very worrying: York was third worst. Harry's mum: of course you were right to take action against the trust, it will make the hospital sit up and take notice. You have done all you can to help stop this happening again. Good luck for your future.
David Furnish
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:09 AM......Dear Mr.politically incorrect, what a thoroughly offensive little man you are, you need to give your head a shake.
hypnoman
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:01 AMPolitically incorrect you really are a complete ****
Fudpucker
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:43 AMI am so sorry for the family's loss. Unfortunately patient care takes a back seat and cost cutting is number one priority, it helps pay for managers' £50,000+ salaries.
scummyBNP
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:37 AMHarrys Mum.....you dont need to defend yourself against the idiot politically_incorrect , you have every dam right to sue the hospital for what happened, if nothing else it may just teach them to NEVER make the same mistakes in the future with anyone else !... We all know nothing could be worse then to lose a child baby for a parent...Just ignore the idiot.. I think your very kind hearted from the way you still have praise for anything to do with scarborough hospital..Hopefully in time the heartache wont be as bad IF thats possible..Every one wishes you and your family all the best in the future...
TK
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:16 AMpolitically incorrect Can I suggest you change your username to 'ignorant moron'? it fits you much better. We all spend our working lives paying taxnational insurance and we have every right to expect a better service than this. A+E waiting times are to be expected but maternity units should be staffed properly this is life and death we are talking about. Our son was moved to Leeds immediately after birth and very nearly didnt survive the journey but fortunately he pulled through thanks to the care he received for several weeks at Leeds. If we'd lost him and then found out it was avoidable i cant begin to imagine how i'd feel. Sarah - your families loss is terrible, you have done nothing wrong whatsoever and have no need to respond to remarks like that.
wallace9
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 08:42 AMPolitically incorrect- if I'm right in understanding it's not the nhs who pay compensation it's the insurance company's so slate me all you will for receiving compensation for my sons death but believe me If I could have had the people envolved put on criminal charges for what they did then there is no question I would have . But due to the system damages is all I could seek for this to give my family and I some sort of closure . I don't care what people write or say about what we have done. I know I would rather have a 29 month old toddler running round my house today with his brother and Sisters. So surely those concerned should have done there job properly in the first place . Scummy bnp- I do know there are alot of great staff at the hospital I have friends who work there I think they are over worked and under paid but something needs to change and lessons to need to be learnt . Thankyou for your kind words Sarah Harrys mum xx
spy
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:59 PMAnd as if by magic . . .
spy
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:58 PMHarry's mum - I'm very sorry for your loss. I don;t think these sort of stories should have the comment's enabled - just in case one of the less sensitive posters has a go.
politically_incorrect
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:52 PMThat's all we need, more compensation payouts to leave even less money for future healthcare..
scummyBNP
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:47 PMDeepest sympathy to sarah and family...such a terrible thing to happen and i so agree that heads should roll..Scarborough hospital has got a terrible name.. BUT i must point out that the hematology dept and the specialists that work in that dept are first class ...Also the macmillan cancer suite is first class.. The nurses in that dept are brilliant... Its such a shame that the same cant be said of the rest of the hospital.....R-I-P Baby Harry :-(
wallace9
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:48 PMI'm pleased this has had the headlines re written with some sensitivity as it came to a horrendous shock to my family and me this morning . This campaign has never been about money for Harrys death it was for justice and an apology which it seems we have now received although not formal and written . Id like to thank on behalf of my family and myself all those who have supported us these past 29 months . I do hope that lessons have been learnt and mistakes are never again made to this extent. Regards Sarah Wallace Harrys mum x
Earth Angel
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:30 PMIt's disgusting in this day and age that a babys needs should have been ignored like that, he should have had the treatment he deserved DAY OR NIGHT consultants are well paid and should be there! The only news I seem to hear about Scarborough hospital is bad news lately.
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