Midwives ignored warning signs during tragic birth, Worthing mother tells inquest

Robyn Davis, from Steyning, told a Coroner’s Court in Chichester today (March 06) how NHS midwives who presided over the birth of her son Orlando failed to properly monitor her liquid intake, or investigate the source of her obvious and unusual discomfort, despite her calls for help.

Robyn's son Orlando was born in Worthing hospital on September 10 2021 and died 14 days later in the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Having originally planned for a home birth, Mrs Davis was not taken to hospital until after her contractions had started. Before that point, Mrs Davis made numerous verbal complaints about constant and intense back pain, her inability to urinate despite trying, and a painful sense that her baby was “stuck”. She said that, rather than investigate the problem, midwives had nothing but false reassurances to offer.

"It made me feel like I was going insane,” she told the inquest in a statement. "because the midwives kept saying everything was fine.”

She continued: “I remember really crying, feeling anxious, and incredibly fatigued and agitated. I felt as if I was breaking down to the midwives, but nothing was recognised and taken seriously other than them saying it was a ‘mean labour’.”

Mrs Davis, a former Midwife herself, said she only urinated once during the birth, despite drinking more than seven litres of fluid.

As complications with the birth continued, Mrs Davis was rapidly transported to hospital. She started to experience seizures, the court heard, and Orlando was delivered via C-section once they were at the hospital. Mrs Davis spent several days in Worthing's ICU, away from her child and with few updates on his health – an experience which, she says, continues to "haunt" her.

The difficult circumstances of the birth left Orlando – who was healthy throughout the pregnancy process – with serious health conditions and a drastically reduced life expectancy. Every individual consultant who worked with the family, the court heard, advised the family to consider end of life care. To make matters worse for Mrs Davis, she was not warned about her son’s poor health before seeing him for the first time, a fact which only exacerbated her grief.

“I just can’t explain the sadness, frustration, anger and complete heartbreak I felt and still feel towards the Trust for not keeping us safe,” Her statement said.

Two years later, Mrs Davis and her husband Jonny continue to struggle with the implications of Orlando’s tragic death. Both have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mrs Davis told the inquest that she still struggles with memory loss and physical pain related to her experiences. The inquest heard how she struggles to leave the house, requires extensive support from loved ones to care for her other children, and has had to leave her job, which involves working with parents and young children.

“This is the hardest thing I think could possibly ever happen to a human being and I am haunted psychologically in so many ways from this, and I can honestly say hand on heart my life is ruined.”

In a statement released before the inquest, Maggie Davies, of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We wish to offer our heartfelt condolences to Orlando’s family at this hugely difficult time.

“We will be doing all we can to assist the coroner and the family to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of their baby boy.”

The inquest, which is taking place at Chichester Coroner’s Court, is ongoing.