Mum-of-five 'begged for help' before hospital death

A care worker "begged and pleaded" for help before dying shortly after childbirth, her mother said.

Laura-Jane Seaman, 36, told staff she could feel bleeding after delivering her fifth child at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, in December 2022.

Her mum, Sarah Shead, supports a national inquiry, and said of her daughter: "She told them she was dying and no-one took her seriously until it was too late and the damage was done."

Broomfield's, chief executive, Matthew Hopkins said care was an "absolute priority" after Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a national inquiry into maternity services.

The final list of trusts involved was not revealed in Monday's announcement.

However, the BBC was told bosses at the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSE) would meet with government officials as part of the investigation.

A coroner in Auguest 2024 ruled multiple failures by staff amounted to "neglect" and led to Ms Seaman's death two days after giving birth at the MSE-run hospital.

The mother-of-five, from Witham, Essex had repeatedly warned of feeling dizzy and numb, alongside an internal "gushing".

"She begged for her life, she begged me for her life and I thought they were doing everything they could do," Ms Shead told the BBC.

"I will forever live with the fact that I didn't shout and scream and say 'What are you doing?', because they appeared to be doing everything.

"But what we were seeing was not what was actually happening."

Ms Seaman had been known to MSE officials to be at high risk of heavy bleeding post-birth.

She was able to breastfeed her newborn before her condition deteriorated, later suffering a significant peritoneal haemorrhage that proved fatal.

"I'm the mother that lost a daughter who was fit, well and had a 99.9% of surviving had they realised her spleen had ruptured earlier," Ms Shead added.

She said the national inquiry, due to begin this summer and report back by December, was overdue.

"I think this is the only way for the health service to learn where it needs to improve," Ms Shead explained.

"There are too many deaths, too many losses. My hope is this happens quickly."

Maternity care at Broomfield Hospital was rated "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January.

Mr Hopkins said he was overseeing an action plan to improve the safety of its care.

"The care and safety of families using our maternity and neonatal services is an absolute priority," he continued.

"We will support any work to tackle health inequalities and improve maternity services for families across the country."

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