Personal Injury Solicitors

A midwife accused of going off shift rather staying to help a mother experiencing labour difficulties who later died has been suspended for three months by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – prompting the bereaved husband of the young mother to call the suspension “a scandal”.

Rebecca Matovu ignored the pleas of Usman Javed, 34, for her to help his 27-year-old wife Sareena Ali, who was having problems while delivering the couple’s child at Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

Mrs Ali was described as being “in agony” during her labour – she was admitted to Queen’s Hospital maternity unit in January 2011 as she was overdue.

However, a crash team had to be called to assist when she was found to be “cold and unresponsive”.

Instead of helping with the resuscitation, Matovu went off shift and went home.

The emergency team performed a Caesarean section on Mrs Ali, but her baby died shortly after being delivered. Mrs Ali was placed on a life support machine but died from a ruptured womb and massive organ failure five days later.

An inquest in November 2011 found that the maternity unit’s staff had contributed to Mrs Ali’s death through neglect.

Mr Javed told the inquest that staff had laughed when he had told them his wife was in agony – and he was told that once his wife was in labour “the pains are just going to get worse”.

Chair of the NMC panel, Clive Powell, said:

“Ms Matovu failed to listen to the people in her care – and this is especially serious given that she was acting as midwife in charge.

“Furthermore, it should have been abundantly clear to Ms Matovu that the actions of her team were placing the patient at risk – and yet she took no action.”

Mr Powell said that the NMC panel had considered striking Matovu off the nursing register, but the action was deemed “disproportionate” to the case.

Mr Javed has since remarried and he and his wife travelled to Pakistan for the birth of their child rather than use NHS maternity services.

Mr Javed told the Evening Standard newspaper that although his son was born prematurely in Pakistan, the care he and his family received was “amazing”.

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