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News & Knowledge » NHS Failure: Pregnant mum gives birth to daughter hours after partner’s death
A pregnant mother who was preparing for a planned Caesarean section discovered her partner had died when she tried to wake him, just hours before she was due to give birth.
Thomas Gibson, 40, experienced a cardiac arrest while sleeping on the couch after a hospital doctor “misinterpreted” a scan 11 days earlier.
An inquest at Stockport Coroner’s Court heard Mr. Gibson attended Wythenshawe Hospital A&E on 27 May 2023 having suffered from a severe stomach bug for about three weeks.
Whilst he was at the hospital, an electrocardiogram (ECG) was carried out and was escalated to Dr. Thomas Bull by a junior doctor who recognised a potential blockage.
However, the doctor failed to recognise the significance of his symptoms and discharged Mr. Gibson and was merely told to come back if his stomach bug did not clear up.
However, just 11 days later, Thomas Gibson passed away after experiencing a “complete heart block” which can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Rebecca Moss, from Stretford, Greater Manchester, explained at the inquest how she woke up on the morning of June 7 at around 05.15 am and excitedly told her partner to “wake up, it’s baby day”, but instead she found he was “cold and stiff” when she tried to touch him.
She called 999 and was instructed to move him onto the floor and start chest compressions, which she did.
Ms. Moss told the court:
“The shock, trauma and not to mention the physical exertion of having to pull Tom off the couch and perform chest compressions at 39 weeks pregnant was overwhelming.”
Ms. Moss gave birth to their daughter, Harper, just hours later on 7 June 2023.
Dr Bull, giving evidence, said he recognised there were signs of an abnormality on the ECG but at the time he did not think it was clinically “significant” without other heart symptoms.
However, it later emerged the ECG which was carried out previously, showed signs of a “complete heart block” which can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Dr. Bull told the inquest:
“I can see now, in retrospect and in hindsight, there is abnormalities over and above those I could see present.”
Ms. Moss described Gibson as “caring, charming, and funny,” excited about becoming a father and spending every weekend preparing for their baby.
“We say goodnight to his picture every night before bed, and she has a quilt made from his favourite jumpers,” Moss said.
“Tom will live on through his daughter, but it doesn’t change the fact that he should still be here with us today.”
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has admitted to providing negligent medical care, according to the family’s lawyers.
The inquest continues.
What is medical misdiagnosis?
Medical misdiagnosis is one of the most common types of medical negligence claims and refers to when a medical professional provides an incorrect diagnosis or fails to diagnose you after negligently misinterpreting your symptoms and/or not investigating your symptoms appropriately.
If you have received an incorrect diagnosis, you may have undergone unnecessary treatments or procedures.
Further to this, particularly in relation to a failure to diagnose, your condition may go untreated, or its treatment may get delayed, meaning that you may require more invasive treatment in the future.
Where does medical misdiagnosis occur?
Medical misdiagnosis can occur in all areas of medical practice. However, these are very common in the following settings:
Meanwhile, medical misdiagnosis delay can occur in diagnosing any medical conditions however are very common in the following medical conditions:
Medical misdiagnosis and/or delay can severely affect an individual’s life, treatment options, recovery period and in more serious cases the chance of survival.
If you have been given the wrong medical advice or course of treatment which has left you in a debilitating condition, you may be eligible to make a medical misdiagnosis and/or delay claim.
How to make a medical misdiagnosis claim?
If you feel that you have been affected as a result of late diagnosis or incorrect or inappropriate treatment, then you may be entitled to bring about a compensation claim.
The team at Oakwood Solicitors Ltd will be able to give you free advice on the prospects of your case and whether you would be eligible to make a claim.
Who can make a claim?
The patient who has been affected may be able to bring about a claim.
However, it can also sadly be the case that the patient has passed away as a result of the disease. In such instances, the executor of the estate or the next of kin/dependents may be able to bring about a claim.
Our specialist team will be able to discuss whether you have a right to bring about a claim, so if you or a loved one has been affected do not hesitate to contact us.
Compensation for medical misdiagnosis
If you or a loved one has suffered harm as a result of medical misdiagnosis you may be entitled to claim compensation for the damages.
At Oakwood Solicitors Ltd we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:
- General damages – An award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.
- Special damages – an award for all of your out-of-pocket expenses such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings, and treatment costs both past and future. This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific.
Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors Ltd?
We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years of experience in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence.
Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.
Further reading
Medical misdiagnosis or delay – Oakwood Solicitors
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Jade Glover is a Solicitor in the Medical Negligence team. She has worked for the company for over 9 years and completed her training during that time. She has specialised in Personal Injury clai…
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