Home Birth – Safe Birth?

An increasing number of women are choosing home birth, the perception being that it is safer, cleaner and a better birthing experience. In some circumstances this can be true and after careful consideration by a doctor or a midwife this service can be offered through the NHS. However, some women are turning away from the perceived failures of the NHS and putting their trust into independent midwives.

Whilst some women are getting the experience they hoped for, others are not. In one recent high profile case, the independent midwife who delivered J K Rowling’s two children recorded a high foetal heart rate of 190 beats per minute, over 30 beats over the accepted safe rate, and yet failed to act upon this result. Instead, she continued with labour as normal and only checked the heart rate again after another hour had passed. Eventually, having recorded a dangerously high foetal heart rate on 5 occasions and realising the baby was in the wrong position, an ambulance was called for and the independent midwife then left the mother to wait for the arrival of the paramedics alone.

Sadly, by the time the mother had arrived at hospital, it was too late for a caesarean section. The baby boy was born but died shortly after.

It’s difficult to say whether being in hospital would have changed the outcome, but access to doctors, anaesthetists and more experienced midwives may well have prevented this tragedy. In hospitals, midwives are taught to check foetal heart rates every 15 minutes and they understand that a high rate indicates foetal distress.

In the case stated above, the midwife was clearly negligent and, after investigation, was struck off the midwifery register.

In a case such as this it is usually possible to make a claim for compensation, although no amount of money can ever really cover the loss felt by the parents. However, independent midwives are not insured and would have to be held personally liable for any mistakes made. This is because there is no insurance company willing to cover the risks posed by these independent midwifes. All NHS midwives and the other practitioners available to assist on labour wards are covered through their trust which will belong to the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) making any potential medical negligence claim much simpler and more likely to have a positive outcome.

Sadly, what should be a very happy and natural experience can be fraught with dangers and complications requiring the assistance of competent and well-trained medical practitioners.