SCANS that could have saved the life of a tragic mother are still not being offered at the north-east’s flagship maternity hospital – six years after she died.
NHS Grampian has made a raft of changes to the way it cares for expectant and new mothers at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital following the death of Lesley Cowie.
The health board insisted last night it would not be altering the scan procedure, but politicians and a patients’ group called for NHS Grampian to act before another life was lost.
They said lessons had to be learned from Mrs Cowie’s death and one claimed there was a “postcode lottery” for access to specialist care.
North East Conservative MSP Nanette Milne plans to raise the issue with Health Secretary Alex Neil and has urged NHS Grampian to “address the situation as soon as possible”. Mrs Cowie was 31 when she died in October 2007, just days after giving birth to her first child, Grace.
Health service papers reveal scans that would have shown she was in mortal danger are still not available at the Aberdeen maternity site.
Mrs Cowie, of Broomhill Road, Aberdeen, died from major internal bleeding following a caesarian section.
She was a recruitment worker for an oil company and had married her accountant husband, Christopher, just three years earlier.
Police launched an investigation into the circumstances of her death and a fatal accident inquiry opened in May this year.
During nine days of evidence at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, the inquiry heard from medics who treated Mrs Cowie in her final days.
A post-mortem examination revealed that the abdominal haemorrhage that killed the new mother had been linked to an existing condition – focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver, a form of benign tumour – diagnosed in 1998.
But medics said they did not take this condition into account as they tried to establish why her health was deteriorating after she gave birth.
The inquiry heard the new mum had been denied a scan in her final hours because it was a holiday weekend and the type of screening she required would have involved ferrying her to neighbouring Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Dr Peter Danielian, a consultant at the maternity hospital, admitted that several things should have been done differently.
The inquiry will continue in December. However, the health board has already been discussing Mrs Cowie’s case.
Minutes of its last clinical governance committee meeting reveal that chief executive Richard Carey and other senior staff have been told about the lack of scans and radiology at the unit.
Head of midwifery Jenny McNicol said it “continued to be an issue”.
But a spokesman for NHS Grampian said there was no short-term solution.
He added that the unit might not be able to offer the scans until the region had a new maternity hospital – which could be “many” years away.
“Aberdeen Maternity Hospital does provide a full obstetric scanning service,” he said. “However, women who require to be scanned for other medical reasons continue to be referred to ARI.
“This has always been the arrangement and will remain the position as both hospitals are separate buildings.
“This entails some inconvenience for them and staff. In an ideal world, this would not be an issue, but any resolution, ie a new maternity hospital, is many years away.”
He added that the NHS had made significant changes after Mrs Cowie’s death, including improved training, clearer escalation arrangements for senior clinical staff and daily ward rounds by consultants.
Last night, Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association, urged the health board to act on the remaining issue before “someone else dies”.
“It sounds like they are just making excuses – but excuses in serious situations like this can end up costing lives,” she said.
“We cannot wait about for another hospital to be built. That could take years.
“NHS Grampian needs to get this sorted out and it needs to be done without a minute’s delay. It is wholly unacceptable that mothers could still be at risk.”
Mrs Cowie’s family said they did not want to comment on the matter until after the conclusion of the fatal accident inquiry.