Ever since Emmie Studencki and Ryan Parker’s son Quinn died at two days old in 2021, they have been trying to find out why. But they fear they may never know the complete truth, because vital clues were lost which prevented a full post-mortem examination.
Theirs is one of 2,500 cases of births at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust which have been examined in the NHS’s biggest ever investigation into maternity care failings.
A report published today by senior midwife Donna Ockenden reveals the trust was plagued with problems, including institutional management failures; a reluctance to listen to families or learn from mistakes;issues over how babies’ bodies were preserved in mortuaries; and “inadequate arrangements” for post-mortem examinations.
Shorts
In Quinn’s case, the placenta was dissected before such an examination could be carried out, which meant it was impossible to establish exactly what happened to him. “The way the trust has acted has made our grief 100 per cent worse,” says Emmie, now 37. “Not knowing the truth about Quinn’s death because of their actions has been devastating. We feel completely failed.”
