Birth injury news
09/03/2010

Ten new mothers a day complain about labour care

Ten new mothers a day complain about the appalling treatment they receive on stretched maternity wards across the UK. Complaints ranged from women who had suffered a birth injury that could have been avoided, to rude midwives and babies being born on toilets.

Hospital spokesmen say the vast majority of new mothers are happy with the service they receive, but MPs and campaigners say the shocking figures are symptomatic of a target-driven health service dangerously short of midwives.

Almost half of the complaints related to bullying, unsympathetic, rude and apathetic staff. Seventy complaints were made about maternity care at Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital, the subject of a Channel 4 fly-on-the-wall documentary called One Born every Minute.

Maternity units paid out almost £200million in compensation claims last year due to birth injury claims and personal injury sustained during labour.