Families face 12-month wait to discover how their babies died

Grieving families have been waiting nearly a year to find out how their children died due to a shortage of pathologists.

Among those facing delays in post-mortem results are Shane Bevan and Laura Tang, from Tipton, whose baby boy died in hospital in May 2023, just hours after he was born.

The couple said their six-month wait to find out the cause of Louis' death “felt like a lifetime” and was preventing them from “moving forward.”

The Royal College of Pathologists has warned that the industry is in crisis as there are currently no pediatric pathologists working in the West Midlands.

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust Birmingham only has two perinatal pathologists and perform autopsies on fetuses and babies across the region.

Ms Tong, a 34-year-old teacher, said it was “cruel” for families already at the “lowest point of grief” to be left waiting for answers.

Bevan, 34, who works as a behavior specialist at a local school, called for something to be done to make the process easier for bereaved families.

He said losing a child is “the worst thing any parent can go through” but waiting made it “10 times harder.”

Louis was born by emergency caesarean section at Russells Hall Hospital at 29 weeks after it was discovered Ms Tong had reversed blood flow – a serious complication which can mean the baby is not getting enough oxygen from the placenta.

She was only able to stroke his face before he was taken to the neonatal unit.

He initially responded well, but within an hour his condition worsened and he required CPR.

Mr Bevan said he was asked to enter the room and left to watch a “horrific scene unfold” without any explanation as to what was happening.

Ms Tong was wheeled in and after 40 minutes of resuscitation, the neonatologist told them they needed to stop.

She was never able to hold onto Louis before he died, which still makes her “very angry.”

The couple, who have two other children, said they had to fight for a post-mortem examination and then travel to hospital for the results.

But after a long wait for answers, the report was inconclusive in November 2023 and the couple said they had “still not achieved the closure” they had hoped for.

In January 2024, a serious incident report found 12 irregularities in their care, which the couple said had “destroyed” them.

Diane Wake, chief executive of Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are deeply sorry for the unimaginable loss Louis’ parents have suffered.”

She added that the trust listened to the family's concerns and has since made changes to its practices.

For more than two decades, the Royal College of Pathologists has raised concerns with the government about the shortage of pediatric and perinatal pathologists.

Report published by the organization this month revealed that 37% of UK jobs remain vacant.

“There simply aren't enough consultants to do the work and families are suffering,” said Dr Clare Evans, chair of the advisory committee.

There are only 52 pediatric and perinatal pathologists in the UK, and 13 of them will retire in the next five years, according to the Royal College of Pathologists.

Ryan and Amy Jackson founded the Lily Mae Foundation in memory of their daughter, who was stillborn at 37 weeks pregnant in 2010.

“When we lost Lily we were told the pregnancy would be 12 weeks maximum. [for a cause of death] and we've seen it get longer and longer ever since,” Mrs. Jackson said.

Her husband added: “When you go through grief, it's like your world slows down completely, so for us, 12 weeks felt like 12 years.”

The child loss support charity, based in Balsall Common, near Solihull, provides personalized support to families who have lost a child and distributes memory boxes.

They said the delays were a postcode lottery, with some families waiting four to six months and others nine to 12 months.

Ms Jackson said that for those families who had to wait longer, “it makes a big difference to that grief journey, adds a lot of emotions and prolongs the time frame for trying to get pregnant again.”

Among those facing a 12-month wait for post-mortem results are relatives of a boy who died in June at his home in Bartley Green, Birmingham.

Nicknamed Kai by locals, he was found in a critical condition at a house on Culford Drive and died shortly after arriving at hospital.

A 37-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of child neglect remains on bail.

Neighbors told us the house on the cul-de-sac is now empty, a reminder of the tragic loss.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out but the results are not expected for at least 12 months, the Birmingham and Solihull coroner told the BBC.

An NHS spokesman said: “It is unacceptable that bereaved families experience significant delays in getting the answers they need after the death of their child, which is why we have launched a national program to strengthen specialist pathology services, which face ongoing staffing challenges.

“These measures include sharing staff and resources among providers and using less invasive options such as genomic testing where needed. The NHS continues to work with clinical leaders and the Grieving Parents Advisory Group to help improve these services for families.”