Compensation awarded in medical negligence claims has been in the news this week when a grieving mother was handed an envelope containing parts of her stillborn baby boy.

Twenty-seven year old, Danielle Tivey from Cranvey Island, Essex, gave birth to twins Tommy and Alfy at Southend Hospital, however, Tommy didn’t make it.

Devastated Danielle had to fight for eight months before the hospital finally released parts of Tommy’s body.

Medical Negligence Claims – Blunder

Miss Tivey was told about Tommy’s death during an ultrasound one month before she was due to give birth.

Resultingly, she informed doctors of how she wished to have his body returned to her so the family could hold a funeral for him.

However, the forms which contained this information were lost by hospital staff.

When the hospital finally decided to release Tommy’s body, a hospital receptionist simply handed over a brown envelope to Miss Tivey.

Horrifically, the envelope contained skin and tissue samples.

Danielle Tivey explained how she was physically sick and severely psychologically damaged after the incident.

Medical Negligence Claims – Comments

The management team at Southend Hospital have issued a full apology though, refuse to explain the full details of how the accident occurred.

However, members of the management team have advised that there has been an overhaul in bereavement services, information processes and counselling at the Trust.

In a statement, Danielle Tivey said:

“I can’t believe anybody could be so unfeeling as to behave in this way, let alone the NHS, which we turned to because it is supposed to be caring.”

The family’s solicitor commented:

“This demonstrates quite appalling incompetence and insensitivity by the hospital.

“The hospital claims documentation that would normally be expected to be in place was not completed by staff, so there was no subsequent discussion with Danielle about her wishes.

“They had also lost the documentation relating to Danielle’s wishes to keep the baby.

“But above all, and having realised what had happened, to present a grieving mother with some cross sections of her dead child in a buff envelope in the middle of the hospital reception was completely insensitive.”

Medical Negligence Claims With Duncan Gibbins Solicitors

At Duncan Gibbins Solicitors we recognise that victims of medical negligence can be both physically and psychologically scarred.

As part of our work ethos, we will make your experience as trouble free  as possible offering rehabilitation and counselling services as part of your claim process.

Duncan Gibbins Solicitors have decades of experience dealing with all types of medical negligence claims so why not contact a member of our team or call us on freephone 0800 0193 515.