Sheffield Doctors Missed Opportunities to Save Baby Girl

Doctors missed opportunities to save the life of a premature Sheffield baby, a coroner has ruled.

Two doctors on the Jessop Wing at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital misinterpreted heart rate readings from baby Marissa Buttery-Calvert while she was in the womb.

There was then a four hour and 15 minute delay in giving her mother an emergency caesarean section. Marissa was then delivered unconscious. Efforts to revive the baby failed and she was pronounced dead at just eight hours old.

Coroner David Urpeth has now ruled that had the caesarean been carried out sooner, Marissa would have been born conscious and could have potentially recovered from the congenital pneumonia she was suffering from.

He said:

"The evidence suggests that on two occasions the abnormal heart trace was incorrectly read as normal. There was a delay of over four hours.

"At the very least, there were several missed opportunities to save Marissa."

He told Marissa's parents Michaela Buttery and Ricky Calvert: "One can only imagine the heartache caused by losing your child."

Lead consultant Roobin Jokhi said both doctors had accepted the findings of his report that mistakes had been made. He said both doctors had undergone a period of retraining, and all relevant staff given mandatory training on baby heart rate traces.

If your health has suffered due to the negligence or a healthcare practitioner you may be entitled to compensation. Speak to our team in confidence on 0333 4008 172 to discuss your circumstances.

PM Law

Medical Negligence Solicitors