Woman wins compensation after being left with stoma after birth trauma

A woman has been awarded more than £500,000 in compensation after childbirth left her with a permanent stoma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Amy Stead, 37, suffered a severe tear while giving birth at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital in 2019, which was not repaired and worsened after she was sent home. 

Ms Stead's tear was missed by an obstetrician who was "rushing to finish" and it was later discovered a hole had opened up between her vagina and rectum. 

She went on to have surgery but was left with a permanent stoma and PTSD.

Ms Stead, who also works at the hospital, said it also marred her experience of becoming a mother for the first time. 

She said: "Between all of this, I was trying to breastfeed my new born baby. It was just all overwhelming. I wasn't in a very good place, but I was hiding it from my family and from friends.

"I had a good bond with my son, thankfully. But I didn't tell anyone about the things going on in my head."

Ms Stead said the obstetrician should have carried out a proper investigation into her tear and pressures on the NHS were leading to injuries and deaths in maternity services. 

She added that women were "bearing the brunt" of pressures on the NHS as there was a theme of them not being listened to and believed. "Some of them are told it's in your head. I was told I didn't know my own body, when I did."

Ms Stead, who says she is thankful she was able to bond with her son, has recently been awarded £575,000 in damages for the injuries she suffered. 

In a statement apologising to Ms Stead, chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, Carol Shillabeer, said was "sincerely sorry" that Ms Stead was "so badly let down" and added that training for medical and midwifery staff had been improved. 

She said: "We recognise that no amount of money can make up for the devastating impact that serious failures in care can have on patients and their families.

"Since this incident, we have adopted an all-Wales quality improvement initiative to ensure that women with obstetric anal sphincter injuries consistently receive safe and effective care."

The Welsh government said it was sorry to hear about Ms Stead's "devastating" experience. 

It added: "Safety in maternity care is our key priority and we expect all health boards to implement evidence-based practice and to provide holistic care to women and families."

It said it had also launched a programme in 2022 to improve the safety of maternal and neonatal care in Wales, and a quality statement was being developed to reflect its "determination" to improve these services.