Tiffany’s story: Delays and communication failures during labour led to baby’s stillbirth

Our client, a mother-of-four whose son was delivered stillborn due to a series of delays and communication failures during her labour, has settled her medical negligence claim against the defendant hospital trust. 

The client will be referred to as Tiffany.

Timeline of events

Tiffany, whose fourth pregnancy had been uncomplicated, went into labour at 37 weeks and 2 days. After experiencing contractions, she called the defendant hospital and was advised to come in. When she arrived, Tiffany reported reduced foetal movements and initial monitoring raised concerns about her baby’s heart rate, which was described as suspicious. 

Two hours later, the foetal heart monitoring (CTG) had escalated to pathological, indicating an urgent need for intervention. The midwife alerted the obstetric team, but the attending obstetrician prioritised another patient. Tiffany was informed she would need an emergency C-section and although she gave her consent, she had to wait for an available operating theatre. 

An hour later, preparation for surgery began, though complications delayed the procedure. Two hours later, Tiffany’s son was delivered without a heartbeat and showed no signs of life. Despite resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem revealed he had developed acute chorioamnionitis, a serious infection that can restrict oxygen flow. 

The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) later identified multiple failures in Tiffany’s care, including delays in recognising the urgency of her C-section and inadequate theatre staffing, which contributed to the delayed response and, ultimately, her baby’s passing. 

How we helped Tiffany’s case

Soon after her baby’s death, Tiffany contacted our team with concerns about her care. We instructed medical experts who showed that a series of delays and miscommunications led to Tiffany’s son’s death. We secured an out-of-court settlement. 

A note from James Anderson

“This is a deeply tragic case where, sadly, missed opportunities, poor communication and delays had devastating consequences. Although the CTG reading was pathological, indicating a need for immediate intervention, the team did not classify it as a Category 1 emergency, delaying the baby’s delivery. The hospital also did not have an available operating room until later in the afternoon, a delay exacerbated by inadequate staffing, which further postponed Tiffany’s C-section. Had these failings been addressed, Tiffany’s son may have had a chance at survival.”