A British hospital has admitted negligence after a coroner ruled that a baby died from neglect because staff failed to follow safe breastfeeding guidelines, allowing the mother to feed him during a procedure.
Olly Vickers died of a brain injury in February last year just weeks after two midwives at Royal Bolton Hospital let his mother, Emma Clark, feed him while she was having gas and air – in breach of guidelines.
Despite being well when he was born, Olly was found “pale and floppy” hours later due to his airways being obstructed. He developed a brain injury and died five months later.
Coroner Peter Sigee ruled his death was a result of “neglect” and due to a “gross failure to provide basic medical care”, reports The Independent.
An inquest into his death heard a student midwife placed a pillow under his mother’s arm while she was feeding him, “contrary to accepted practice”.
Another midwife then gave Clark gas and air while she was feeding Olly as she was stitched up for a tear obtained during labour – which again went against guidance.
No risk assessment was carried out and the coroner said Olly’s breastfeeding should have been stopped before the midwives began to suture Clark, who said she had become concerned about her baby’s breathing and had asked staff if her son were okay.
However, neither midwife came to look at him, with one simply saying he would move himself if he were uncomfortable.
Olly’s feeding slowed further and when Clark again expressed concern, the midwife repairing her tear said he was asleep and this was normal.
According to a report by the Health and Safety Investigation Bureau after an inquiry into the death, hospital staff felt “pressure” to ensure he fed within the first hour as well as needing to repair his mother’s tear.
Olly is the second baby to have died during a breastfeeding incident while in the trust’s care. In 2018, Louie Bradley reportedly choked to death after his mother had been taught a breastfeeding technique that went against national guidelines. She had been left alone to feed him despite being “dog tired” after labour.
Last year, The Independent reported on the death of Kingsley Olasupo, a 10-day-old baby boy, who died after the trust failed to screen and treat him for sepsis.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust admitted clinical negligence, while a coroner ruled his death could have been avoided if he had been given antibiotics earlier. And in 2021, baby Alfie Rizzari was stillborn after “systemic errors” at the same the hospital.
Law firm JMW, which is representing the Vickers family, told The Independent it was dealing with five cases where babies have suffered a brain injury or stillbirth at the hospital.
Jodie Miller, a partner at the firm, said: “Olly’s death is one of a number of maternity cases at Bolton with which my team is dealing and we are growing increasingly concerned about the safety of its services.”
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