When Mrs W, a nursing mother, was admitted to the Trust, staff did not take appropriate action to meet her request to have her baby with her so she could continue breastfeeding.
What happened
Mrs W was the nursing mother of an eight- week-old baby when she was admitted to a general ward at the Trust. She was initially told her baby could not be with her on the ward. When she expressed milk and asked to store it in the ward fridge for her husband to take home, she was told she could not do this. The next day she was moved into a side room and told she could in fact have her baby with her.
What we found
The Trust gave Mrs W conflicting information about whether she and her baby could be together on the ward. Both the general ward and the post-natal ward missed opportunities to try to meet Mrs W's needs, and did not follow the Trust's breastfeeding policy. Mrs W was upset and angry because her breastfeeding was disrupted.
Putting it right
The Trust told us it had already taken steps to avoid such events happening again, which we welcomed. The Trust acknowledged and apologised for the failings, and also completed its work on updating its breastfeeding policy to cover giving support to nursing mothers who are admitted onto general wards.
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
North Lincolnshire
Did not involve complainant adequately in the process
Apology
Recommendation to change policy or procedure