‘We knew something was wrong, but our concerns were overlooked’

The parents of a baby who died at just six days old have spoken of their devastation and anger after warning signs that might have prevented her death at a scandal-hit maternity service were missed - concerns that came before a life-threatening emergency for both mother and baby.

Olivia Trupiano was born on 14 September 2024 with a severe brain injury, after her mother, Kimberley Newark, underwent an emergency caesarean at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath following a maternal collapse.

Doctors later discovered that a major blood vessel near Kimberley’s stomach, the splenic artery, had ruptured, causing massive internal bleeding and a life-threatening loss of an estimated 14 litres of blood.

Tragically, Olivia passed away five days later.

In the hours leading up to Olivia’s birth, Kimberley and her partner, Yann Trupiano, say they repeatedly raised concerns about Kimberley’s worsening condition. However, maternity staff at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust did not appreciate the seriousness of her condition, and Kimberley and Yann say that they felt “ignored and dismissed” despite repeated warnings about her deteriorating health.

The NHS Trust’s maternity services are under investigation following a review commissioned by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, after nine bereaved families raised concerns over the deaths of their babies between 2021 and 2023. Kimberley and Yann, who have been in contact with the other families, said their grief at losing their daughter was made “so much worse” by learning that several parents had endured disturbingly similar experiences.

“I went to the hospital because I had fainted, was weak, dizzy and in excruciating pain—pain I knew was not normal. They told me I had “trapped wind” and administered Buscopan alongside pain relief and IV fluids. My pain never subsided and it turned out I was bleeding internally,” says Kimberley.

Yann says: “Our daughter died and Kimberley nearly died too – I put my trust in the medical staff. I was told to go home overnight and come back in the morning, and believed that Kimberley was in safe hands. Shortly after I left, I was called to say she was having an emergency caesarean and she was in a critical condition.”

Olivia needed to be resuscitated at birth and was found to have severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. Following emergency surgery, Kimberley was placed in a coma. While both were transferred to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, Olivia sadly passed away at six days old on September 19, 2024.

“This has absolutely devastated us. Our older children (now aged eight and ten) have struggled to understand why Olivia is not here with us and they are so young to have to try and process something like this,” says Kimberley.

“It has also had a huge impact on our relationship as we attempt to grieve for our daughter. It has been devastating in so many ways.

“We want a clear explanation of why this occurred and why our concerns were not acknowledged. We, along with the other families in the same position, need transparency and answers.”

Kimberley and Yann are being supported in finding answers from University Hospitals Sussex by maternity specialists at Slater and Gordon, who are acting for a number of families impacted by failings within the Trust.

“The loss of Olivia has been absolutely heartbreaking for Kimberley and Yann, and they have so many unanswered questions over what went so wrong in the care they received,” says Ayesha Hussain, clinical negligence solicitor who is acting for the family.

“The fact that Olivia is one of several babies who died within University Hospitals Sussex’s maternity services, whose deaths are subject to many questions, is deeply concerning and these families deserve full support and transparency from the NHS Trust. We will be beside Kimberley and Yann every step of the way in finding the answers they need and deserve”.