Mother, 37, dies after giving birth to twins amid hospital blunders

Mother, 37, died giving birth to twins 'after a hospital emergency button failed, medics recorded her blood type incorrectly and specialist fluids were given to the WRONG patient'

Estelle O¿Sullivan lost three litres of blood after the Caesarian operation to deliver her twins and later died from a cardiac arrest


A coroner heard that an emergency button in the operating theatre did not work, leaving a midwife to dash through hospital corridors to get help when things went wrong.

Medics had also written down the wrong type of blood on her records and specialist fluids ordered to be delivered to the hospital were given to the wrong patient.

Ms O’Sullivan had been a patient at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire, when the tragedy happened, the inquest heard, and apart from the blood blunders, essential operating instruments were missing from the theatre.

Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford was told that Ms O’Sullivan had a previous child born by Caesarian section. And because of a blood disorder and a pregnancy problem she suffered, it was decided she should be declared 'high risk' and have the same operation for the birth of the twins.

The 37-year-old had a condition which meant her blood did not clot properly and she had been admitted to hospital throughout her pregnancy with heart palpitations and dizziness.

But the day before her death, her waters broke and she was admitted to the maternity ward.

Ms O’Sullivan, who lived in Slough, Berkshire, had lost half a litre of blood by 11am on the day of her death at Wexham Park Hospital but reported feeling well and feeling her twin boys moving inside her.

The anaesthesist made us aware that Estelle had a cardiac arrest and I ran to the labour unit as the bell had failed
Midwife Tiffany Gurbishley
However, hours later she began to feel surges of severe pain in her stomach and when the babies’ heart rates were hard to monitor, the situation was escalated to an emergency and an ultrasound examination was carried out, raising alarm over the health of the babies.

The twins were born just before 3pm on February 24 and were rushed to the Special Care Baby Unit. But their mother suffered a cardiac arrest on the operating table - and when a midwife pressed the emergency call button it did not work and she had to run to the labour unit to call for help.

Midwife Tiffany Gurbishley told the inquest that 775ml of blood had been lost over a 24-hour period when Ms O’Sullivan reached the operating theatre.

'Estelle was taken to the operating theatre with an estimated blood loss of 775ml and put in the care of Mr Wagley (consultant),' she said.

'I scrubbed up to receive twin two and I remained in the theatre until both babies were in the Special Care Baby Unit.

'The anaesthesist made us aware that Estelle had a cardiac arrest and I ran to the labour unit as the bell had failed. The purpose of the emergency buzzer is to get extra hands there. Mr Wagley carried out CPR.'


Much more detail on link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3832872/Mother-37-died-giving-birth-twins-hospital-emergency-button-failed-medics-recorded-blood-type-incorrectly-specialist-fluids-given-WRONG-patient.html


Childbirth is a scary time. I lost a hell of a lot of blood when I had my son naturally and my blood pressure dropped quite quickly. In fact, that was how I came into the world myself, so my mum tells me.
The staff were awful too, and my sons birth was horrendous (daughter the complete opposite as I did self-hypnosis).

I think stories like this are so incredibly sad and needless.