Birth injury claim involving failure to monitor foetal heart

Astley (A minor) v Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2023] EWHC 1921 (KB)

Failure to monitor the heart rate of the foetus is a relatively frequent issue in claims for birth injuries. In a recent clinical negligence case, an 11-year-old boy who had suffered permanent brain damage at or around the time of his birth was seeking damages for clinical negligence by hospital midwives. His injuries included deafness, motor impairments, cognitive difficulties and behavioural problems.