Midwife's negligence in failing to monitor CTG

Feb 6, 2012
It's not enough to have fetal heart rate and maternal contractions recorded by CTG.  The recordings must be monitored.  

In the case of Popple v Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust the treating midwives failed to review the CTG trace.  Had they done so it was found they would or should have been concerned with possible fetal well being, requested urgent obstetric review which would have led to immediate delivery either by caesarean section or by use of episiotomy and if necessary forceps or ventouse.  

The Court found the midwives negligent for failing to monitor the CTG trace and that had they done so the steps set out above would or should have happened.  

The Court found that the baby suffered asphyxial damage in the last 15 to 20 minutes of labour and that had he been delivered even minutes earlier his injury would have been avoided or substantially reduced.  

Compensation was agreed at £5.5 m.  

Leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal has been granted to the defendant NHS Trust. 
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