Trust’s payout over mum’s op death blunder (From Thisisdorset)

Trust’s payout over mum’s op death blunder

7:00pm Thursday 6th March 2008

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THREE children whose mother died a month after giving birth are set to receive £275,000 in compensation from an NHS Trust, after their grandmother in Dorset pursued the case.

Helen Walters died from acute respiratory and multi-organ failure after giving birth to her fourth child.

Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London admitted liability for Helen's death.

The trust offered to pay £275,000 to be shared between her three surviving children, Victoria, Kieran and Carla Walters, who sued through their grandmother Evelyn Edge at Snooks Farm, West Parley.

But the High Court's permission is needed because the children are under the age of 18, and now their legal team is asking consent to accept the settlement from the healthcare trust.

Mrs Walters gave birth to her fourth child, Jacqueline, on August 1 2002. Mrs Walters died from complications on August 28 2002.

Doctors had confirmed that baby Jacqueline had a severe form of Pierre Robin's Syndrome, where babies typically have a small jaw, a cleft palate, and a lack of tongue control, which can lead to breathing difficulties.

Babies born with severe forms of the syndrome are classed as medical emergencies, and sometimes need a tracheotomy to help them breathe.

The doctors had devised a complex delivery plan, the High Court writ says.

They planned to deliver her by Caesarean section, but put a special tube into her lungs before delivery was complete, and as part of this process, put a drain into Mrs Walters's abdomen.

It is likely that during removal of the drain the next day, her bowel was perforated, and she went on to develop peritonitis, leading to her death, the writ claims.

A spokesman for King's College Hospital said: "King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has previously accepted liability for the death of Ms Walters in 2002 following the birth of her child. Following this, the Trust can confirm that a financial settlement with the family of Ms Walters has now been agreed.

"The trust would like to extend its apologies and sympathies to Ms Walters' family."

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