OGBONNA-JACOB: PARENTS FORCED TO DELIVER BABY AS MIDWIFE SEARCHED FOR NAPPIES
A midwife abandoned a mother while her baby was being born to go in search of nappies, a hearing was told today (Mon).
The little girl’s parents were forced to deliver the child themselves and were left frantic with worry when the baby was born with the umbilical cord round its neck, it was said.
Eunice Ogbonna-Jacob, 51, is accused of making a string of errors during the birth at Homerton University Hospital in Hackney, east London, on April 26, 2005.
She is alleged to have ignored the mum-of-three’s wishes by insisting she have an epidural, despite her saying she did not want one.
She also ordered the woman’s husband to go home and collect and bag for the baby while his wife was in the final stages of labour, it is said.
The mother, referred to only as Patient A, was left in ‘obvious and patent distress’, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard today.
She was found guilty of misconduct in relation to the same matters at an NMC hearing in June 2009 and struck off the nursing register.
But that decision was quashed by the High Court and a new hearing is taking place in central London.
Patient A had arrived at the hospital in the early hours of April 26 in labour with her third child, wanting gas and air, the panel was told.
Later that day, Ogbonna-Jacob ordered her husband to home and fetch a bag with the baby’s things, despite his wishes that he should be present at the birth, it was said.
When he returned without nappies, the midwife is alleged to have gone off in search of hospital supplies while his wife was in advanced labour.
Salim Hafejee, for the NMC, said: ‘This is a very poignant and, in all the circumstances, very sad case.
‘Patient A was in advanced labour and had no assistance from Mrs Ogbonna, even when she was unable to lift herself.
‘Mrs Ogbonna said there was a button there and she could have used that to move the bed herself, and secondly she was not insured to be lifting anybody and why should she put herself and the baby at risk of death.
‘You may feel this amply demonstrates her unprofessional attitudes towards her responsibilities and the way she would ordinarily communicate with patients.
‘Patient A was entitled, and it was Mrs Ogbonna’s duty, to be present once it was clear that she was in the process of delivery the baby.
‘She was present in the room when the doctors examined her and the baby’s head was visible.
‘At that stage, there was no reason whatsoever for Mrs Ogbonna to have left.’
He added: ‘Patient A was left in obvious and patent distress at these extraordinary actions.’
The baby survived and did not suffer any long term damage, the panel was told.
Ogbonna-Jacob attended the first stage of the re-hearing in June, but stormed out after her request to hold it in private was rejected.
She claimed she was at risk of attack by ‘Asian youths’ if the hearing was heard in public and reported, but the panel rejected her request to hold the hearing behind closed doors.
As she walked out the door, she told the panel: ‘Have a wonderful day and god bless you all.’
She has not attended the resumed hearing and has not given evidenceto the panel.
Ogbonna-Jacob, of Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green, east London, denies failing to give appropriate care, failing to communicate in a professional and polite manner and failing to explain when leaving
the patient that she was going or that another midwife would be taking over.
A charge that she left the delivery suite to watch a training DVD has been dropped by NMC.
If found guilty of misconduct she could be struck off the nursing register.
The hearing continues.
ends
