Midwife hearing continues over death of Baby K at Telford hospital
The grandmother of a baby boy who died at a county hospital took her own observation notes in the lead up to his death, a hearing was told.
Three midwives from Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust - Louise Davies, Alexandra Jones, and Jane Lacey - are facing allegations of misconduct at the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The case stems from the care of an expectant mum, referred to as Patient A, and the death of her baby boy, Baby K.
Baby K died four days after being born at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford in August 2015.
Siobhan Caslin, for the NMC, said: "The charges arise out of the circumstances of the birth of a baby boy.
"It was a difficult birth and he was born in a poor condition.
"This is not an allegation of causation of death, only Davies is charged with loss of chance of survival."
But she said there were concerns over the standard of care provided by each of the midwives after the mother arrived on the ward.
Throughout the day Patient A's and her baby's heart rate changed.
Jones admits recording the woman's heartbeat as having elevated for the second time at 3.30pm and failing to transfer her to the consultant-led unit.
Patient A was finally transferred to the unit at 8.20pm that day.
Charged
Jones and Lacey are charged with dishonestly recording the foetal heartbeat of Baby K, amending the record later so that it appeared that they had recorded it when they had not.
Ms Caslin said the panel would be hearing evidence from the baby's grandmother, who was a qualified nurse.
She said: "She will say that upon leaving the hospital after visiting baby K she could not sleep and found herself distracted.
"Therefore as a nurse her instinct was to make a contemporaneous record.
"She made notes on her computer in the early hours of the morning while still fresh in her head.
"Following the tragic death of baby K she requested the maternity notes of Patient A.
"She received these notes and compared them to her own notes.
"It became apparent to her that there were a number of entries of care that she will say simply did not take place.
"The partogram can be added to out of sequence.
"Therefore the times do not accurately reference the number of times it was observed by a midwife."
Both Jones and Davies admit failing to call a porter to assist in the transfer of Patient A to the consultant-led unit.
Davies admits not recording the foetal heart rate at 8.05pm, the last opportunity before Baby K was transferred to the consultant-led unit, but denies that this led to the loss of chance of survival of Baby K.
She is the only midwife charged with causing the loss of chance of survival of Baby K.
Lacey and Jones each deny being responsible for the care of Patient A at 6.05pm and 6.20pm when they are said to have failed to have recorded the foetal heartbeat.
The tribunal continues.
