Woman awarded £27,000 after Lewisham and Greenwich NHS trust performed caesarean without proper anaesthetic

A series of mistakes led doctors to perform a caesarean section on a pregnant woman without proper anaesthetic.

The mum-to-be received £27,000 after Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust admitted failing to give her proper pain relief.

The terrified woman described being able to feel the surgeon’s blade slicing into her at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Stadium Road, Woolwich.

She was admitted to hospital in labour back in 2013, and was given an epidural.

The birth of her first child, the decision was made to operate after two hours of unsuccessful pushing and attempts at an assisted delivery.

But her epidural was removed shortly before going into theatre, but doctors failed to her any additional anaesthetic before surgery began.

MORE TOP STORIES She described feeling ‘excruciating pain’ when the first incision was made and the surgeon began to cut her open.

Only then was she given pain relief.

Her baby was delivered safely.

The mother, who has now had a second child, was represented by solicitor Patricia Wakeford, who said: “Understandably, my client found the experience of her first child’s delivery to be extremely distressing. 

"She has since suffered from frequent nightmares, severe anxiety and depressive symptoms which led to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It is hoped that with the help of therapy, she will overcome her ongoing anxieties and be able to enjoy life with her family.”

The Trust admitted a string of failures, including not providing adequate pain relief, failure to inform the patient her epidural had been removed and poor record-keeping.

The Trust was recently embroiled in other cases where failings were identified at Lewisham Hospital. 

Mistakes at Lewisham Hospital allowed a sectioned man to hang himself with pyjamas inquest concludes.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust pay out multi million pound settlement after failings left baby permanently disabled.