Jonathan Geddes reported that a fatal accident inquiry attributed the deaths of three newborn babies in Lanarkshire hospitals between 2019 and 2021 to the lack of “reasonable precautions.” Leo Lamont, Ellie McCormick, and Mira-Belle Bosch all tragically passed away shortly after their births. The inquiry highlighted that these deaths could have been avoided if the mothers had been directed to seek medical attention when they reported problems instead of being advised to stay at home. The McCormick family expressed shock at the numerous failures that led to their daughter’s death, describing it as a “catalogue of errors.”
The investigation identified several system “defects” that contributed to the fatalities, such as a lack of effective mechanisms to flag risks during pregnancies and a lack of guidance for midwives in assessing symptoms of preterm labor. Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar KC made 11 recommendations for future improvements, including establishing a “trigger list” to identify and evaluate early signs of labor. These recommendations also involve enhancing electronic patient records to provide better alerts for at-risk mothers and setting up direct phone lines between ambulance crews and maternity units across Scotland.
Leo Lamont’s unfortunate demise at University Hospital, Monklands, just two hours after birth in February 2019 was linked to a missed opportunity for medical intervention. Despite his mother, Nadine Rooney, being considered high risk, the midwife who triaged her call failed to recognize signs of preterm labor, resulting in Leo’s premature birth at home. Ellie McCormick and Mira-Belle Bosch’s deaths similarly involved instances of inadequate medical advice, leading to tragic outcomes that could have been prevented with timely interventions.
Sheriff Anwar empathized with the families’ grief over the loss of their children, acknowledging the profound pain they had endured. She emphasized the devastating impact of a child’s death on parents and families, transforming moments of joy and anticipation into sorrow and tragedy. Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks hoped that the inquiry’s findings would offer the families the closure and answers they needed after experiencing such overwhelming loss
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