Keralite Couple’s Baby Dies Eight Days After Birth as Blackpool Hospital Admits Failings In Timing of Delivery

LONDON Sept 22: Blackpool Victoria Hospital has expressed its “deep regret” over failings in the timing of the delivery of baby Richard George, whose Keralite parents, Sajan Thomas and Jossymol George, lost their son just eight days after his birth.

The case has raised serious concerns about maternity care, delays in emergency delivery, and the treatment of a high-risk pregnancy, issues that will resonate with many Keralite families living in the UK.

Richard was delivered by caesarean section at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on December 3, 2024, when his mother Sajan was 36 weeks pregnant. Despite concerning test results and a second episode of reduced fetal movements accompanied by an abnormal cardiotocography (CTG) trace, doctors did not deliver him immediately.

Following his birth, Richard was transferred to Royal Preston Hospital for specialist treatment. He died eight days later.

His parents feared that delays in his delivery had contributed to his death and raised concerns about the care provided by the hospital.

Inquest finds earlier delivery would not have changed outcome

Following a three-day inquest at Blackpool Town Hall, assistant coroner Louise Rae concluded that delivering Richard earlier would, on the balance of probabilities, have made no difference to the outcome.

The coroner determined that the brain injury that ultimately caused Richard’s death had occurred in the womb before his birth.

The inquest returned a conclusion of natural causes.

However, the finding has not ended the family’s concerns about the care they received, and Sajan and Jossymol are proceeding with a medical negligence claim against Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Hospital apologises for failings in delivery timing

Following the conclusion of the inquest, Sam Westwell, Chief Nurse, AHP and Midwifery Officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, issued a statement acknowledging failings in the timing of Richard’s delivery.

“We deeply regret failings in the timings of baby Richard’s delivery and sincerely apologise to his parents and family,” he said.

“We also wish to express our deepest sympathies for their tragic loss.”

Westwell added that the Trust had implemented improvements identified through an independent review following Richard’s death.

These included:

• Reviewing the urgency of operative deliveries.

• Ensuring a paediatric registrar is present when there are concerns about fetal heart rate scans.

“The Trust and all its staff are committed to providing the highest possible standard of care to mothers, babies and families,” he said.

Concerns over maternal diabetes and delayed caesarean

Evidence presented at the inquest highlighted concerns about Richard’s condition before and immediately after birth.

Dr Rajeev Shukla, a consultant perinatal and paediatric pathologist at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, told the inquest that a post-mortem examination found Richard had died from a hypoxic brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen. There was also evidence of hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar.

Richard was born in a severely compromised condition. He struggled to breathe, had rigid muscles and experienced clinical seizures, all signs consistent with severe brain injury.

The inquest heard that five hours passed between Sajan’s arrival at hospital and Richard’s birth.

In a statement to the inquest, Richard’s parents said medical staff were aware that Sajan had maternal diabetes. They also explained that their two older children had been delivered early by caesarean section to avoid potential complications and injuries.

The family raised concerns about why delivery was delayed despite the abnormal CTG results and reduced fetal movements.

Although the inquest found that Richard’s fatal brain injury had occurred before birth, the case has drawn attention to the importance of timely assessment and intervention when warning signs emerge during high-risk pregnancies.

Family raises concerns over sterilisation procedure

The family’s concerns extend beyond the timing of Richard’s delivery.

Their solicitor, Eleanor Rostron, said after the inquest that Sajan and Jossymol believed their son’s death occurred in preventable circumstances. She also raised concerns about a sterilisation procedure performed on Jossymol.

“Jossymol and Sajan have not only lost their little boy in what we believe were preventable circumstances, but they have also lost the right to have another child,” Rostron said on behalf of the family.

She alleged that the obstetric doctor on duty had failed to recognise abnormal CTG results in a high-risk mother and proceed quickly with a potentially life-saving caesarean section, despite concerns raised by midwives.

Rostron further claimed that the hospital should have recognised Richard was likely to be born in a very poor condition but proceeded with Jossymol’s sterilisation regardless.

According to the solicitor, the couple would not have consented to the procedure had they known Richard had suffered a catastrophic injury.

The family has instructed Rostron to pursue a medical negligence claim against the Trust.

Case highlights concerns for Keralite families in the UK

Richard’s case is likely to raise difficult questions for Keralite families navigating maternity services in the UK, particularly those managing high-risk pregnancies, diabetes-related complications and decisions about caesarean delivery.

It also highlights the importance of ensuring that expectant parents understand medical concerns, proposed interventions and the implications of procedures that may affect future fertility.

While the coroner concluded that earlier delivery would not have altered Richard’s outcome, the hospital’s apology and the family’s ongoing negligence claim demonstrate that questions remain about the standard and timing of care provided.

The legal proceedings will provide an opportunity for the family’s allegations to be examined through the appropriate legal process. The negligence claim remains ongoing, and the allegations have not been finally determined by a court.