The death of a baby before or during birth is an unimaginable loss. For many parents, the grief is compounded by unanswered questions about whether different care, earlier intervention, or better communication could have changed the outcome.
Recent coverage of Liz Charlton’s experience at Worthing Hospital, where her daughter Hazel was stillborn in July 2021, has resonated deeply with many families.
Ms Charlton describes repeatedly raising concerns during a pregnancy shaped by significant previous losses yet feeling that critical information about her medical history was not fully recognised or acted upon.
You can read more about Ms Charlton’s case in the BBC’s report here.
We are not involved in Ms Charlton’s case, and it would not be appropriate to comment on the legal issues. However, stories like this raise important and recurring questions about maternity services in the UK—particularly around listening to women, recognising risk, and ensuring continuity of care. These are issues that many families tell us they encounter, often at the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
In this blog, we’ll explore these issues in more detail.
The importance of being listened to
A consistent theme in maternity investigations across the country is women feeling unheard.
Ms Charlton describes “pleading to be heard” as her condition deteriorated, a phrase that echoes the experiences found in multiple national reviews of maternity care.
Pregnant women often know when something does not feel right. When those concerns are dismissed, minimised, or overshadowed by gaps in medical records or poor communication between teams, the consequences can be devastating. Listening is not just about empathy—it is a clinical safety issue.
Recognising and responding to high‑risk pregnancies
Ms Charlton’s pregnancy followed six miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy, alongside known uterine complications.
She has said she never felt properly assessed as high risk, despite repeatedly providing her history.
Identifying high‑risk pregnancies is a cornerstone of safe maternity care. This includes:
- Taking a full and accurate obstetric and gynaecological history
- Ensuring previous specialist advice is clearly documented and accessible
- Escalating care when there are complex or compounding risk factors
- Reviewing care plans as circumstances change
When previous losses or medical interventions are not fully accounted for, opportunities to provide closer monitoring or earlier intervention may be missed.
Continuity of information – not just continuity of care
Many maternity units work hard to provide continuity of midwifery care, but continuity of information is equally critical. Ms Charlton’s account highlights concerns that important details were missing from, or overlooked in, her medical notes.
In busy hospital environments, families understandably assume that clinicians have access to all relevant information. When records are incomplete, or when vital background is not acted upon, parents can feel they are forced to repeatedly relive traumatic histories simply to keep themselves and their babies safe.
A wider pattern, not an isolated story
What makes this case particularly troubling for many parents is that it does not appear to be isolated.
The Sussex Truth for Our Babies Group alleges more than 60 families in the region have experienced serious maternity care failings.
Similar patterns have emerged in other parts of the UK following independent reviews, including the Ockenden and Kirkup reports.
Common themes repeatedly identified include:
- Failure to escalate concerns
- Delays in monitoring or treatment
- Poor communication between staff and with families
- Not taking maternal concerns seriously
- Inadequate learning after previous incidents
Each individual tragedy is deeply personal. Taken together, they raise serious questions about whether lessons are being learned quickly and effectively enough.
Why speaking out matters – even when it’s hard
Families who come forward often say they do so not only for answers, but to protect others.
Ms Charlton has spoken about her determination to ensure that what happened to Hazel does not happen to another family.
It takes immense courage to relive painful experiences publicly. While legal processes are one part of accountability, systemic improvement depends on organisations truly listening to patients, learning from mistakes, and making meaningful changes.
For parents who are pregnant now, or grieving a loss
If you are currently pregnant and feel something is not right, you are entitled to:
- Ask questions and receive clear explanations
- Request escalation or a second opinion
- Have your concerns documented and taken seriously
- Be involved in decisions about your care
If you have suffered the loss of a baby or experienced harm during maternity care, it is normal to feel confused, angry, or unsure where to turn. Some families seek investigations, reviews, or legal advice as part of their search for understanding. Others simply want acknowledgement and change. There is no “right” way to respond to loss.
Looking forward
Stories like Ms Charlton’s remind us that safe maternity care depends on more than policies and protocols—it depends on listening, vigilance, and respect for each woman’s individual story. Until those principles are consistently embedded across services, families will continue to pay an unbearable price.
If sharing these experiences helps prompt learning, accountability, and improvement, then the voices of parents like Ms Charlton’s may yet help protect others in the future.
How can we help?
Danielle Young is a Partner in our Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500. She specialises in pregnancy and birth injury claims (including cerebral palsy), brain injury claims, fatal claims, surgical error claims, and cauda equina injury claims.
If you have any questions in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, then please get in touch with Danielle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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If this article relates to a specific case/cases, please note that the facts of this case/cases are correct at the time of writing.