Nottingham: Grieving dad and mom declare they had been ‘bullied’ by under-review well being belief

A pair whose child died after being within the care of an NHS belief that was below overview had been made to really feel “insignificant” and like they “don’t have a voice”.

Adaora, the daughter of Ama Maduako and Sharma Thomas, died on 25 January this 12 months, nearly 5 months after being born at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham.

Her dying is forming a part of an impartial overview of maternity providers at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which manages QMC.

Ms Thomas, 23, who beforehand labored as a non-public group healthcare assistant, mentioned: “It’s opened my eyes a bit because I never thought that people that work in a profession where they’re working with such vulnerable people, babies, I just never thought that people would be capable of acting the way that they do.

“It’s only a shock as a result of I’d by no means do this personally, myself.

“I’ve got my own children now, but even before I had my own children, I was caring for someone else’s child.

“It by no means would have by no means crossed my thoughts to deal with a toddler or simply deal with that household in a sure means that makes them really feel like they do not have a voice or makes them really feel bullied or insignificant, or make them really feel like they’re doing one thing incorrect or they cannot take care of their little one.”

Adaora, and her twin brother Zikora, had been born 25 weeks and at some point into Ms Thomas’s being pregnant on 5 September 2022, having not skilled any issues up till then – however each infants had been positioned on ventilators after being instructed their lungs had been bleeding.

Mr Maduako, a 26-year-old medical salesman, additionally alleged Adaora had harm to her eyes and ears because of tools being utilized incorrect, including they watched her coronary heart price flatline thrice as a result of the ventilator didn’t present stress.

He additionally mentioned their issues had been dismissed or seen as being immune to remedy – which they deny.

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While Zikora celebrates his first birthday on Tuesday, his sister by no means made it out of QMC.

The dad and mom declare mentioned Adaora’s dying was put down as pulmonary hypertension, mixed with the results of COVID by the hospital, however declare a autopsy carried out confirmed no proof of COVID, and as a substitute discovered harm to her lungs.

Michelle Rhodes, chief nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals mentioned: “We supply our deepest condolences to Sharma Thomas and Ama Maduako for the lack of Adaora.

“We want to assure Sharma and Ama that we have heard the concerns that they have raised and are committed to working with them to review each of the concerns and respond in a way that best meets their needs.”

More than 1,700 circumstances of attainable hurt to new child infants and moms are being examined at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust over a 10-year interval.

The investigation is led by midwife Donna Ockenden, who led an analogous overview into maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. In 2022, she concluded that catastrophic failures there could have led to the deaths of greater than 200 infants.