Danielle Brown, 31, was sent home from a Newcastle hospital after medics could not find her unborn baby's heartbeat and told to 'book a slot to give birth' at a later date. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has admitted a breach of duty in its care of Ms Brown and that her daughter, Maisie, would have survived had Ms Brown not been discharged during an earlier admission.
Ms Brown was seven months pregnant when she was first admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in February 2023 with pre-eclampsia. A consultant obstetrician had advised she remain in hospital until she gave birth, but she was discharged 24 hours later on 14 February after a review by a different consultant.
The following day, Ms Brown telephoned the hospital's maternity assessment unit with further concerns. She was told she probably had a stomach bug but insisted on being seen. After a 90-minute wait, medics could not find Maisie's heartbeat and informed the couple their baby had died.
"When it was confirmed Maisie had died, we burst into tears. Nobody explained what had happened to Maisie," Ms Brown said. Instead of delivering the baby immediately, she reported being handed a booklet for bereaved parents and told to book a slot to give birth. "Hearing that with no compassion angered me so much," she said.
Faisal Ali, a solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, said the case vividly highlights the human cost of care failings. "Sadly, this isn't an isolated case and we represent hundreds of families nationally affected by maternity failings," he said. "Put simply, maternity services aren't good enough, resulting in mums and babies being put at risk because of deep-rooted problems nationally."
Ian Joy, executive director at the trust, said: “We fully accept that aspects of the care we provided fell short of the standards the family had every right to expect and offer a heartfelt apology for this.” Following a detailed review in 2023, Mr Joy said the trust had improved urgent assessment for women with unexpected symptoms or suspected complications. Mr Joy said the trust had recently been assessed as performing well against national standards.
The couple have since had a son, Harrison. "While we feel so blessed to have Harrison, it remains difficult knowing Maisie should be here with us too. She will always be part of our family," Ms Brown said. "After saying goodbye to Maisie, we had to walk through a labour ward seeing parents going home with their babies. That will stay with me for ever."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case underscores national concerns about the safety of NHS maternity services, which have faced multiple inquiries over the past decade.
- The trust's admission that the baby would have survived places direct responsibility on clinical decision-making and discharge protocols.
- The family's account has renewed public scrutiny of how hospitals communicate with and support bereaved parents.
Background
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates the Royal Victoria Infirmary. The trust stated it had recently been assessed as performing well against national standards. The UK's NHS has been grappling with maternity safety, with several trusts subject to independent reviews for failings in care that led to avoidable harm or death of babies and mothers.
Key Perspectives
Danielle Brown: described her devastation when the baby's death was confirmed, said she was given a booklet and told to book a slot to give birth, and called for more compassionate support when something goes wrong.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: acknowledged that aspects of its care fell short, offered a heartfelt apology, and stated that it had improved urgent assessment after a 2023 review.
Faisal Ali (Irwin Mitchell): said the case vividly highlights the human cost of care failings and argued that maternity services nationally are not good enough, putting mothers and babies at risk.
What to Watch
- Whether the trust's 2023 changes prevent similar incidents and how it responds to ongoing scrutiny.
- Potential further legal action by the hundreds of other families Irwin Mitchell says it represents.
- National policy responses from the UK government and NHS England regarding maternity safety standards.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNewcastle NHS Trust admits a breach after a woman whose unborn baby died was told to ‘book a slot to give birth’.World news | The Guardian: “The trust admitted a breach of duty and that Maisie would have survived had her mother not been sent home during her first admission.”
- SupportedDanielle Brown was sent home from hospital after medics could not find her unborn baby’s heartbeat and was told to book a slot to give birth later.World news | The Guardian: “Instead of delivering Maisie straight away, Brown said she was handed a booklet for bereaved parents and told to book a slot to give birth on another day”
- SupportedThe trust admitted a breach of duty and that Maisie would have survived had Brown not been discharged during an earlier admission.World news | The Guardian: “The trust admitted a breach of duty and that Maisie would have survived had her mother not been sent home during her first admission.”
- SupportedFaisal Ali said maternity failings are a national problem.World news | The Guardian: ““Put simply, maternity services aren’t good enough, resulting in mums and babies being put at risk because of deep-rooted problems nationally.””
- SupportedBrown said, “When it was confirmed Maisie had died, we burst into tears. Nobody explained what had happened to Maisie.”World news | The Guardian: ““When it was confirmed Maisie had died, we burst into tears. Nobody explained what had happened to Maisie,” she said.”
- SupportedBrown was 31 and seven months pregnant when she was first admitted with pre-eclampsia in February 2023.World news | The Guardian: “Danielle Brown, 31, was seven months pregnant when she was first discharged from hospital with pre-eclampsia”
- SupportedA consultant obstetrician advised Brown to stay in hospital until she gave birth, but a different consultant reviewed her and she was discharged 24 hours later on 14 February.World news | The Guardian: “A consultant obstetrician said Brown should remain in hospital until she gave birth, given her potentially life-threatening condition. However, she was discharged 24 hours later on 14 February after a review by a different consultant.”
- SupportedThe day after her discharge, Brown called the maternity assessment unit, was told she probably had a stomach bug, and insisted on being seen.World news | The Guardian: “A day later, Brown phoned the RVI’s maternity assessment unit with more concerns but was told she probably had a stomach bug. She insisted on being seen”
- SupportedAfter a 90-minute wait, medics could not find Maisie’s heartbeat and the couple were told their baby had died.World news | The Guardian: “waited 90 minutes to be assessed, and was told medics could not find Maisie’s heartbeat. The couple were then told that their baby had died.”
- SupportedBrown said, “Hearing that with no compassion angered me so much.”World news | The Guardian: “She said: “Hearing that with no compassion angered me so much.””
- SupportedAli said, “Sadly, this isn't an isolated case and we represent hundreds of families nationally affected by maternity failings.”World news | The Guardian: ““Sadly, this isn’t an isolated case and we represent hundreds of families nationally affected by maternity failings.”
- SupportedIan Joy said the trust had improved urgent assessments after a detailed review in 2023 and that it had recently been assessed as performing well against national standards.World news | The Guardian: “Following a detailed review in 2023, we improved urgent assessment for women who come to our maternity services with unexpected symptoms or suspected complications.” The trust had recently been assessed as performing well against national standards, Joy said.”