The families of two new mothers who died of herpes after having caesarean sections performed by the same surgeon have attacked the NHS trust’s ‘disgraceful behaviour’ as they continue their five-year ‘battle for answers’.
Kimberly Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, both died of herpes in 2018 shortly after giving birth after the same midwife performed their C-section.
They died six weeks apart in hospitals run by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust (EKHUT), sparking an inquest into their deaths, looking at how the mothers became infected with the virus, and their subsequent care.
At the Maidstone inquest, coroner Catherine Wood said it was ‘unlikely’ that the surgeon was the cause of the herpes infection in both women and ruled out any blame on the part of the medical staff involved.
However, she said ‘suspicion should have been aroused’ in relation to Ms Mulcahy’s case as staff would have already been aware of Ms Sampson’s previous death and added that both women had previously been on antiviral treatment should get.
First-time mum Samantha Mulcahy, 32, (pictured with husband Ryan) died at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent
Kimberly Sampson, 29, died in May 2018 at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate and died at a London hospital at the end of the month after giving birth to her second child
Following today’s hearing, Ms Mulcahy’s heartbroken mother Nicola Foster and her stepfather Mark Trainer called the coroner’s enumeration inaccurate
After the hearing, Ms Mulcahy’s heartbroken mother, Nicola Foster, and her stepfather, Mark Trainer, spoke out that the coroner’s enumeration was incorrect and said they will not give up on their five-year quest to find out the truth.
She said: ‘It became very clear during this investigation that we would never find out the truth about why the trust was covering up and excluding us at every opportunity.
“They have tried to punish us for having help from the BBC… The trust is false, dismissive and members of the trust staff, including surgeons, have behaved arrogantly, defensively as if they were untouchable.”
“Both families will always believe Kim and Sam’s deaths were the result of something they contracted in the hospital and we have no reason to believe otherwise,” the grieving mother added.
Referring to an expert witness called by the coroner, Ms Foster said she believed the coroner’s decision was “based solely on her witness and that some of the enumeration was incorrect.”
She said she will continue to fight over the conclusion of the inquest, adding that the family “can’t give up just yet” because they “don’t feel like we’ve found out the real truth.”
Ms Sampson died at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in May 2018 and died at a London hospital at the end of the month after giving birth to her second child. Less than two months later, the first mother, Mrs Mulcahy, died at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent.
The coroner said: ‘This is a rare but often fatal disease and more needs to be done to raise awareness of it.
Ms Sampson’s parents, Yvette and Louis Sampson, also spoke after the inquest, saying they will be ‘always angry and upset’ about what they had to do to get to the truth
The two women died six weeks apart in hospitals run by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust. Pictured: Mrs. Mulcahy on her wedding day
Today, the coroner at the Maidstone inquest said it was ‘unlikely’ that the surgeon was the cause of the herpes infection in both women. In the photo: Mrs. Sampson
“All the evidence suggests that early recognition is more likely to produce a positive outcome.”
The inquest heard earlier in April how the surgeon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, could have been a potential source of the infection. But the surgeon told the inquest that his hands were fully scrubbed, double-gloved and that he wore a mask during procedures.
He also said he had no lesions and was not infected, but added that he had not been tested.
The coroner said those involved who suggested it was the surgeon tried to ‘plug the gap’ with a possible explanation, but she ruled it unlikely and that ‘statistical coincidences can occur’.
The hearing on July 14 also heard a legal challenge from the BBC and the PA news agency to overturn the anonymity order requested by the trust to prevent the surgeon from being named.
EKHUT argued that his order of anonymity was intended to protect his staff member’s reputation and mental health from what he believed would be harmful media reports about the case, but the media’s bid argued that the surgeon’s fears were speculative.
Following today’s conclusions, Ms Foster said she still believes there is a connection between her daughter’s death and the surgeon because of the way the EKHUT have tried to “shut the door in their faces” when they tried to answer questions. set.
Yvette Sampson, Ms Sampson’s mother, also said the trust had not listened to her and she will be ‘always angry’ about what they had to do to find out the truth about her daughter’s death.
EKHUT argued that his order of anonymity was intended to protect his staff member’s reputation and mental health from what he believed would be harmful media reports about the case, but the media’s bid argued that the surgeon’s fears were speculative.
The coroner is expected to issue narrative conclusions for both Ms Sampson and Ms Mulcahy on July 26.
She said, ‘The trust didn’t really listen to me; they were more focused on trying to make the problems go away.
“The past five years have felt like a real fight for answers.”
Ms Sampson added how the process over the past five years has ‘changed her as a person’ and she finds it ‘difficult to understand’ how the trust has acted.
Standing next to Mrs. Sampson’s father, Louis Sampson, the mother said she “will always be angry and upset” about what they had to do to find out the truth about Mrs. Sampson’s death.
Anna Vroobel, the family’s lawyer, also said in a statement that the inquest showed that care for Ms Sampson was inadequate due to the trust’s failure to provide her with antiviral drugs.
Ms Vroobel urged the trust to learn lessons from this case, saying: ‘Patient safety must be a fundamental priority. We still see too many families whose lives have been destroyed.”
The coroner is expected to issue narrative conclusions for both Ms Sampson and Ms Mulcahy on July 26.
Ms Wood also delayed her decision on the anonymity order until the same hearing.
A spokesman for East Kent Hospitals said: ‘We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the families of Samantha Mulcahy and Kimberley Sampson.
“We cannot comment further until the judicial investigation is complete.”
MailOnline has also contacted East Kent Hospitals.