Midwife accused of ‘gross failure’ (From Swindon Advertiser)

Midwife accused of ‘gross failure’

7:56pm Friday 25th January 2008 in News By Ben Perrin

A MIDWIFERY consultant has accused a former senior midwife of gross failure over the death of a young mother.

Helen O'Dell, who works for the Local Supervising Authority, was in the witness box at Mayra Cabrera's inquest in Trowbridge yesterday.

Mayra, pictured right, died at the Great Western Hospital when Bupivacaine, a powerful epidural anaesthetic, was administered in her hand rather than her spine.

The 30-year-old, from Liden, died of Bupivacaine toxicity just an hour after giving birth to son Zac on the morning of May 11, 2004.

Accusations of malpractice in the role Sister Marie To played on that fateful day were put to her earlier this week.

And yesterday Mrs O'Dell said the former midwife had failed to carry out good practice at GWH.

"It was a gross failure in not recognising that her (Mayra's) blood pressure had dropped significantly and in not calling the doctor back to check her," said Mrs O'Dell.

"Midwives are professional and as such accountable.

"To not accept this responsibility is not being accountable for their practice.

"We are accountable for our omissions as well as the things we do."

It was also revealed Ms To failed to complete Mayra's patient records. Instead she did so retrospectively, more than an hour after her death.

"There was very poor record keeping - below standard," she added.

"It shows the midwife needed more training."

Representing Ms To, Rebecca Dennis said her client would not have found the time to complete the patient's chart after the birth.

"She had to collect swabs, take a blood pressure reading, perform a needle check, clean Mrs Cabrera, change her sheets and conduct an examination on her," she said.

"I put it to you that she did not have time to make these recordings between 8.18am and 9am.

"Is this not a standard of care driven by perfection?"

Mrs O'Dell replied: "There is time. She should be writing accurate records."

All the evidence has now been heard. The inquest will not sit on Monday, but submissions will be made the following day.

Coroner David Masters is expected to sum up the case on Wednesday.

He will then send the nine jury members out to consider their verdict.