A senior coroner accused a hospital of staging a ‘cover-up’ over the death of a newborn baby after midwives failed to spot clear signs of distress.
Eli Hoy, 38, and her partner, Tijl Deutekom, 40, had planned a home birth under the care of community midwives, but due to a spike in her blood pressure, Ms Hoy was told to go to the maternity ward.
After giving birth to Elton Deutekom at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in January 2022, the newborn baby was pronounced dead 37 minutes later.
During his labour, Ms Hoy had a placental abruption, which is when when some or all of the placenta separates from the wall of the womb.
Doctors at the west London hospital did not pick up this and Elton was starved of oxygen, according to the coroner.
They also failed to refer the incident to the coroner and told the NHS’s healthcare safety investigation branch (HSIB) that Elton had been stillborn, meaning no investigation was required, an inquest heard.
Only after the parents learnt of this anomaly in the records were the serious failings in his care uncovered by the HSIB.
Professor Fiona Wilcox, the senior coroner, said: ‘I need to say this on the record and in public – this feels like there has been an attempt at a cover-up.’
‘I am concerned there is an element of cover-up in this death. I will say it categorically.’
Concluding that Elton had died from natural causes to which neglect contributed, she said there had been ‘gross’ failings in his care.
If the midwives had adequately monitored his heart rate and recognised Ms Hoy’s oxygen deficiency, he could have been delivered earlier and would have survived.
After Ms Hoy arrived at the hospital to give birth, she was in excruciating pain and started vomiting and shaking, however she was informed this was normal.
As her labour progressed, cardiotocography monitoring of the baby failed to detect his heart rate, but this was not acted on by staff.
Elton was eventually delivered by forceps and attempts to resuscitate him failed. A post-mortem concluded the probable cause of his death was hypoxia.
Hoy and Deutekom told The Times: ‘Knowing that Elton’s death could have been avoided is both validating and deeply tragic.
‘We believed that we were in a safe place, with the people and the technology surrounding us to help us. Maternity staff did not listen to our repeated concerns. They did not provide the basic level of monitoring.
‘They did not act in our family’s best interest. And they did not take accountability for it until now — nearly three years later. Surely the medical community can do better.
‘Please listen and trust women in distress, please act wisely and swiftly when they are in danger and please take accountability for your mistakes so that others don’t have to suffer through the same fight for justice.’
has contacted Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for comment.