Trust failed to adequately meet needs of nursing mother

Summary 133 |

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.

Health or Parliamentary
Health
Organisations we investigated

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Location

North Lincolnshire

Complainants' concerns ?

Did not involve complainant adequately in the process

Result

Apology

Recommendation to change policy or procedure