Legal issues in obstetrics and neonatal care

Continuing concerns about Maternity and Neonatal services in England and Wales have been growing recently despite the recommendations of numerous internal investigations and several formal independent inquiries. It should be noted that the duty of candour now applies to provide transparency when mistakes are made or things go wrong in the course of healthcare. The number and type of enquiries into maternal deaths and injuries and those suffered by babies at or around the time of birth can be bewildering to parents and family members, especially when they are emotionally distressed and anxious about the future. Staff members can also become very stressed when they are caught up in giving evidence in the course of an inquiry. Several excellent firms of specialist solicitors explain the processes very well on their websites.