A grieving dad told an inquest that he has "no words to describe" the pain he felt over a bereavement meeting following the death of his two-day old baby boy. Ryan Parker, of Barrowby in Lincolnshire, spoke of his heartbreak during an inquest looking into Quinn Parker's death.
Mr Parker has spoken out after hearing of a 'plan of action' outlined by representatives from the Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH). Mr Parker was referring to a meeting on October 1, 2021, where he and Quinn's mum, Emmie Studencki, were seeking support and information after their son's tragic death.
Although they were not seeking a "conclusive cause", he said that he was surprised that no notes or findings were made available prior to their meeting. "I do not have words to describe how that made us feel," he told the inquest. "I recently found out more information about Quinn's cause of death just before the inquest."
READ MORE: Mum's agony before her 2-day old baby died in her arms at Nottingham City hospital
It was the fourth day of the inquest into Quinn Parker's death, a baby who died two days after being delivered through a category one emergency C-section at Nottingham City Hospital. Dr Gemma Malin, the joint Head of Service for Maternity at NUH, and Sharon Wallis, Director of Midwifery, attended the hearing held at Nottingham Council House on Friday (April 29).
Questioning the NUH witnesses, barrister Cara Guthrie, representing Quinn's parents, went on and said: "Emmie is very upset that it is only now that a plan of action is being discussed." She addressed a problem with the 'mismanagement' around the baby and his mum's care overall, moving on to ask if it was in "the trust's culture" to not involve the parents of a new-born in the process.
Emmie Studencki said she had been admitted to Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust's (NUH's) maternity units three times over concerns of heavy bleeding before baby Quinn Parker was born on July 14 last year. She told the inquest she had asked a midwife for an emergency Caesarean "and questioned why I couldn't have one".
Eventually, after Quinn's heart rate dropped an emergency Caesarean was performed - but when he was born at 7.08pm he was "floppy and pale", the inquest heard. He died just before 7.55am on July 16 in his "parents' arms" at the neonatal intensive care unit.
A post-mortem examination said Quinn suffered from a lack of oxygen and the cause of the baby's death was multiple organ failure. Dr Elizabeth Didcock, assistant coroner for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, is examining the circumstances surrounding the death.
After hearing all the evidence, she told the inquest she has "serious concerns" that information surrounding Quinn's death came in "so late", making it difficult for the parents. After Mr Parker addressed the inquest, Dr Didcock added: "This goes to the culture, doesn't it?" She also made reference to the plan of action discussed in the hearing, saying that getting the parents of a baby involved in the process is "such a basic part of consultation". "I am surprised that it [the problem] remains and it still has to be addressed."
A final version of the 'plan of action', which is to be reviewed by Quinn's parents and the coroner, is expected to be issued on Friday, May 6. A narrative conclusion to the inquest is set to take place virtually on May 11.
Meanwhile, a review by the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) into maternity services at the trust is currently underway. This was launched after the health watchdog found "serious concerns" in NUH's maternity services, rating them as 'inadequate' following inspection in October 2020.
Donna Ockenden, the senior midwife behind the report into the Shrewsbury and Telford maternity scandal, had agreed to urgently investigate concerns over calls for a public inquiry. But it was later revealed that former NHS Trust chairwoman Julie Dent CBE had instead been chosen to lead the existing review that's underway.
The appointment of Ms Dent represents an important shift. But crucially it falls short of a full public inquiry which families and campaigners say is necessary. More than 100 families who have experienced the 'same failures', through NUH maternity services, had sent a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid calling for an independent review, having expressed concerns over the current Independent Thematic Review. They said they had "no confidence" and thus called upon Mrs Oakenden to herself investigate.
The new chair appointed to lead a review into maternity services at Nottingham’s hospitals has been rejected by dozens of bereaved families, who said they felt “let down” by the decision. The review into the maternity units at the QMC and City Hospital is looking into the care of hundreds of families following a number of baby deaths, injuries and other incidents dating back to 2006.
