Examination of a swab left in the mother’s body after birth

An investigation is currently underway into how a medical swab designed to stop bleeding was left in a patient’s body after giving birth.

The incident at Blackpool Victoria Hospital was described as a “Never Event”, meaning it was a preventable incident that should never have happened.

According to a hospital report, the incident occurred in July when a woman was admitted to the operating room because she had suffered a hemorrhage shortly after giving birth.

The mother was sent home with the swab in place, even though it should have been removed.

The report, presented at a meeting of the board of directors of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said one of the devices designed to stop the bleeding had been removed.

However, there was no documentation to show that the other one had also been removed.

“The next day, the mother called the maternity ward and said that she [it] and that she was not aware that it was there.

“The mother was advised to bring the package to her maternity ward appointment the next day,” the report said.

While an initial review of the incident found that some immediate lessons could be learned, the report added: “A patient safety investigation is ongoing and those involved, including [Care Quality Commission] And [Integrated Care Board] were informed that the incident was a ‘never event’.”

Midwife shortage

At the board meeting, it was also announced that eleven midwives were missing from Blackpool’s maternity ward.

However, members were assured that the unit was safe.

One of the reasons for this shortage is the increasingly complex health problems of expectant mothers.

A recent independent review had recommended a birth-midwife ratio of 21.3 births per midwife, while in 2022 the ratio was almost 23 births per midwife.

This was due to a 4.7% increase in expectant mothers in the highest risk categories, with more than two-thirds in the top two categories requiring more complex care.

The report states: “The case mix is ​​similar to that in many maternity wards, where there has been an increase in the need for care for mothers and babies over the last three to four years.”

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