West Sussex Couple Demand Inquiry into Maternity Care Failures at Worthing Hospital

A West Sussex couple is calling for an investigation into Worthing Hospital’s maternity services following the stillbirth of their daughter Esme, citing multiple missed opportunities for intervention.

Chloe and Toby Lovett from Southwater, West Sussex, are demanding a review of maternity care at Worthing Hospital after their daughter Esme was stillborn in February 2022.

Chloe experienced severe pains during her pregnancy, but claims that hospital staff dismissed her concerns and advised her to “get on with her life.” Despite multiple triage calls and hospital visits, Chloe’s pains were not adequately addressed, and a post-mortem examination later revealed that medical staff missed six opportunities to intervene before Esme’s death.

The Lovetts’ call for an inquiry has been supported by other families who have also experienced tragic losses under the care of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. This includes Robyn and Jonny Davis, whose baby Orlando died at 14 days old in 2021 due to neglect.

The trust has apologised for these incidents and claims to have implemented improvements following their investigations, such as offering urgent appointments for complex cases and launching a centralised triage service. However, affected families argue that more needs to be done to ensure such tragedies do not recur.