76% of mothers reported negative experiences at Swansea Bay maternity units. If you’re one of them, we can help.
Recent Issues at Swansea Bay Maternity Units / Materion Diweddar ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe
In December 2023 Swansea Bay University Health Board’s maternity and neonatal services were placed into enhanced monitoring by the Welsh Government following an unannounced inspection. Although services are reported as having improved since further unannounced inspections took place, further improvements are still recommended — with the results of a further independent review to be published in summer 2025.
Despite these improvements, Llais Neath Port Talbot and Swansea found more cause for concern while compiling the experiences of 515 women delivering at the Singleton Hospital and the Neath Port Talbot Hospital Birth Centre in 2024. This follows increasing numbers of negative experiences being shared by families about the care they received.
This investigation identified that 76% of mothers had a negative experience — or failures in their care.
These include:
- Issues with communication
- Concerns about quality of care
- A lack of respect and support for mothers giving birth; including unnecessary stress and a lack of dignity and care resulting in physical or mental harm to themselves or their babies.
The Swansea Bay Maternity Support Group, a local support group set up by and for those affected by problems with maternity, meets regularly to raise the profile of the concerns surrounding medical negligence during childbirth. They are calling for a full, independent investigation into care standards at the Health Board.
If you have received poor care from Swansea Bay University Health Board, we are here to help. We offer free specialist advice and no win no fee claims. We can also provide you with a second opinion about a possible claim for damages; even if this has previously been turned down by other solicitors.
Os hoffech chi siarad gyda aelod o’r tîm trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, mae hyn yn bosib hefyd. Gofynnwch pan yn gysylltu gyda ni.
Support Following Medical Negligence During Childbirth
We are here to help if you have suffered medical negligence during childbirth, or similar negligent maternity care, at Swansea Bay University Health Board / Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe at Neath Port Talbot Hospital Birth Centre, The Bay Birth Unit at Singleton Hospital or the labour ward at Singleton Hospital. Our medical negligence solicitors offer free assessments, second opinions and can provide reliable advice and support about compensation claims.
Our teams are highly experienced in birth injury claims and are already helping hundreds of families like yours.
Common Birth Injuries We Can Help With
CL Medilaw supports families that have suffered as a result of medical negligence during childbirth. If your experience could have been avoided, we can discuss bringing a birth injury claim to secure the answers, compensation, and practical support you deserve.
The conditions we help with include:
Why Bring a Birth Injury Claim?
Ultimately, we want to get the answers you need to understand what exactly went wrong with you and/or your baby’s medical treatment at what should have been a happy time for your family.
If you or your child have suffered in any way, we know from our years of experience with birth injury claims just how life-changing adequate compensation can be. The support available could provide for your child’s needs — both now and in the future. This may include therapy, education, equipment, care, suitable accommodation, financial management, and much more.
We will aim to secure everything needed to give you peace of mind and safeguard your child’s financial security. No one can change past events, but we can be here to help you get answers, receive the right support, and ensure that a successful birth injury claim helps to bring significant improvements in maternity care in Wales in the years to come.
What to Expect: How the Claims Process Works
Bringing a birth injury claim against the NHS can seem daunting. However, our solicitors aim to simplify the process by explaining the key steps you’ll take when you work with us. From your free assessment to the resolution, we’ll be there to guide you every step of the way.
You can expect:
- Free Initial Consultation: We’ll listen to your experience and assess your case.
- Funding: Choosing the most suitable form of funding; includes No Win, No Fee option.
- Medical Evidence Collection: We gather all relevant medical records to identify what went wrong in your care.
- Medical Expert Review: We select experienced and respected experts and ask them to consider your care, advise what went wrong and whether with the right care yours and/or your child’s injuries would have been avoided.
- Assessment: We review the evidence from the experts, with help from specialist barristers when appropriate, and let you know whether we think your claim will be successful.
- Valuing the Birth Injury Claim: Using comparative cases, we can put an approximate valuation on the compensation to which you are entitled.
- Claim Submission: We submit your claim to the health board.
- Negotiation: We work to secure the best possible settlement.
- Resolution: Your case concludes with compensation or proceeds to court if necessary.
FAQs About Claims for Medical Negligence in Childbirth
- How long do I have to make a claim? Generally, you have 3 years from the date of the incident or from the date you became aware that negligence occurred. For children, the 3-year limitation period starts from their 18th birthday. If your child’s ability to make decisions for themselves has been significantly affected by their injuries (for example due to global developmental delay alongside cerebral palsy or HIE) they may be able to bring a claim at any time.
- Will making a claim affect my future care? No, your right to healthcare will not be affected by making a medical negligence childbirth claim.
- How much compensation might I receive? Every case is unique. Compensation depends on the severity of injuries, ongoing care needs, and other factors specific to your situation.
- What if other solicitors have turned down my case? We often take on birth injury claims that other firms have declined. Our specialist expertise allows us to see potential in cases others might miss.
Why Choose Us?
We are specialists in bringing obstetric claims for birth injury, Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy, neonatal deaths, stillbirth, and maternal deaths and injury. Our team has extensive experience handling medical negligence childbirth cases and we push boundaries to ensure that all avenues are explored. This means that even the most challenging claims have a better chance of succeeding.
At all times, we put our clients first, asking the questions they want answered and ensuring they obtain the compensation they need to make life better.
No Win No Fee Birth Injury Claims
We know that bringing a birth injury claim against the NHS seems daunting, but we can pursue your case on a No Win, No Fee basis — which ensures there is no cost to you. We are here to provide you with the help and support you need throughout the claims process.
Call our specialist and friendly team on 0345 2410 154, use the contact form or our webchat service and we’ll call you back.
Cymraeg: Mae gwasanaeth Cymraeg ar gael — Os hoffech chi siarad gyda aelod o’r tîm trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, mae hyn yn bosib hefyd. Gofynnwch pan yn gysylltu gyda ni.
