A consultant has claimed staff at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital missed chance after chance to save a new mum’s life after she developed internal bleeding.
Dr Mervyn Davies told the fatal accident inquiry into Lesley Cowie’s death that the condition which killed her was like “a bomb waiting to go off”.
The 31-year-old’s family heard yesterday that she may have survived if medics had taken a series of opportunities to intervene.
Mrs Cowie, of Broomhill Road, Aberdeen, died in 2007 from major internal bleeding following a caesarian section to deliver her first child, Grace.
Giving evidence on the 10th day of the inquiry at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Dr Davies claimed that a combination of inexperienced doctors and “negligence” led to her death.
He also accused the medics who treated her of “breaching” their duty of care when they failed to warn there was a “high risk” she might bleed excessively following the birth.
Dr Davies – a consultant liver specialist from St James’s Hospital in Leeds, who was asked to review the case – said doctors were aware that Mrs Cowie suffered from a very rare form of benign liver tumour, called focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH).
But he said that, during her pregnancy, the tumours got bigger and medics thought they might be adenomas, a serious type of growth capable of rupturing during delivery.
Dr Davies said that a “red flag” system should have been put in place highlighting the potential seriousness of her condition.
He told the inquiry that the symptoms Mrs Cowie showed indicated that she was losing blood.
She eventually collapsed after suffering catastrophic blood loss.
On September 23, Mrs Cowie suffered a cardiac arrest during which her heart stopped for 45 minutes.
She underwent surgery for an abdominal haemorrhage and was put on a life support machine before she died. Mr Davies said that, had staff intervened earlier and taken her condition into account, efforts could have been made to save her life.
“In my opinion there is negligence in this case,” he said.
During cross-examination, Dr Davies was challenged about pathology reports which said the tumours were in fact FNH.
Alastair Duncan QC, representing NHS Grampian, said that the chances of FNH bleeding during pregnancy were rare and suggested that medics had taken suitable action.
The inquiry is due to continue later this month.