Five-figure award on baby death

The parents of a stillborn twin baby were today awarded a five-figure sum in damages from Walsall Manor Hospital after a sequence of blunders led to their son's death.

Donna and Matt Chidlow, of Bloxwich, who have won a two-year legal action against the trust, say delays and mistakes by two doctors and midwives caused the stillbirth of their baby Joshua.

Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust has admitted clinical negligence after a two-year battle. A report found that when Joshua's twin brother Joseph was born at the Manor Hospital on May 19, 2004, warning signs of a difficult labour were present.

Measures taken of the twins' heartbeats and of contractions in Mrs Chidlow's womb were "ominous", according to an expert's report.

Doctors should have been alerted to the problems and tried to save Joshua by performing a Caesarean section. Louise Hunt, the Chidlows' solicitor, said: "Instead they embarked after the delays on a series of treatments that were inappropriate."

Joshua was stillborn 47 minutes after his brother was born and 80 minutes after abnormalities were first detected.

Ms Hunt added: "Had the delays not happened, and had a Caesarean been undertaken, Joshua would probably not have been stillborn."

Donna and Matt Chidlow, both aged 33, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after the tragedy and have now been awarded damages which are under £100,000.

Sarah Smith, hospital director of development, said: "The NHS Litigation Authority has dealt with this case on our behalf and we are awaiting communication on the outcome."

Joseph is now a healthy two-and-a-half year old, and the couple have three other boys Luke, 12, Dominic, 9, and seven-month-old Samuel.

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