- author, Sarah Isadell
- role, BBC news
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A woman has been awarded more than £500,000 in compensation after giving birth to a permanent stoma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the year
She said women “bear the brunt” of the pressure on the NHS.
Mrs Stead, chief executive of Betty Cadwallader Health Board, said: “I am truly sorry that you are so upset.”
Ms Steed’s tears were missed by a gynecologist “in a rush to finish” and it was later discovered that a hole had opened between her vagina and anus.
She went on to have surgery but was left with a permanent stoma and PTSD.
Ms Steed, who works at the hospital, said it had ruined her experience of being a first-time mother.
She said: “In the middle of all this I was trying to breastfeed my newborn. It was all very difficult.
“I wasn’t in a very good place, but I was hiding it from my family and friends.
“I had a good relationship with my son, thank you. But I didn’t tell anyone about the things that were in my head.”
She said the obstetrician should have made a proper diagnosis of her tears and that the pressure on the NHS was causing injuries and deaths in maternity services.
She added that there is a theme of women not being heard and trusted.
“Some of them said it’s in your head. I was told that I don’t know my own body when I know it,” she said.
Ms Stead was recently awarded £575,000 for her injuries.
Betty Cadwallader Health Board chief executive Carol Schillaber said in an apology to Mrs Steed that training for medical and midwifery staff had improved.
She said: “We recognize that no amount of money can compensate for the devastating impact that serious failures in care have on patients and their families.
“Since this incident, we have launched an all-Wales quality improvement initiative to ensure that women with uterine rectal sphincter injuries continue to receive safe and effective care.”
The Welsh Government said it was sorry to hear about Ms Stead’s “devastating” experience.
He added: “Safety in maternity care is our key priority and we expect all health boards to implement evidence-based practice and provide comprehensive care for women and families.
It has announced a program to improve the safety of maternal and newborn care in Wales by 2022, and says a quality statement is being developed to reflect its “commitment” to improving these services.
image source, Family portrait
Despite her experience, Ms Stead said she was “determined” that her experience would not affect her and her husband’s plans for a family.
In the year In 2021, the couple welcomed their second son.
Mrs Steed had an elective caesarean due to her stoma and previous injuries.
However, despite wanting more children, she decided not to put her body through another cycle, which she said was a medical compromise.
She also documented her experience on Instagram, prompting other women to come forward with similar stories.
“I’m not the only one who’s had this happen to me. I think that’s what’s scary about it.”
image source, Family portrait
She admits maternity services at Wrexham Maelor have improved in the five years since she gave birth, but says wider change is needed.
“They (maternity services) need to stop pushing women away. They need to start listening and developing a better care package for them.”
What happened to me should never have happened.