'Failures' in medical care played part in baby's death

CORONER FINDS 'SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES NOT TAKEN' PRIOR TO TRAGIC GIRL'S BIRTH

- David Powell

"GROSS failures" in medical care and "neglect" played a part in the death of a newborn girl.

A coroner was so concerned about the circumstances surrounding the death of Etta-Lili Stockwell-Parry in 2023 that she issued a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

Laura Stockwell-Parry was induced and Etta-Lili was born "in poor condition" on July 3, 2023, at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, having suffered oxygen starvation, according to a pathologist.

She was transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral but died there four days later, on July 7.

Kate Robertson, senior coroner for North West Wales, who held a two day inquest in Caernarfon last week into Etta-Lili's death, found neglect was a contributory factor.

Mrs Robertson said staff had failed to notice problems early enough and a subsequent investigation wasn't thorough enough.

Neither a community midwife nor maternity unit staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd, noticed the baby had stopped growing at about 40 weeks.

The health board described the failures as an "isolated incident".

Mrs Robertson found the cause of death was hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.

She recorded a narrative conclusion.