'Our baby died at 10 days old because of hospital failings'

A couple whose baby died due to failings by maternity services have said they want to spare other couples what they went through.

Willow Rose Courtney-Thompson was born prematurely at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in October 2024.

She died 10 days later after a biopsy, performed without her parents' consent, led to sepsis.

Professor Andrew Brent, the hospital trust's chief medical officer, said: "There were critical shortfalls in Willow's care, and we didn't get it right – for that, I am truly sorry."

Parents Joseph and Lauren, from Brackley, Northamptonshire, were worried about speculation that they were to blame after a post-mortem examination pointed to a brain injury and cardiac arrest.

Willow's official death certificate was changed after the inquest to show her cause of death as sepsis as a result of the biopsy.

Mr Courtney-Thompson said it was important for them to have the correct cause of death, as before it was "too vague".

"You just look at that part and think... they're clearly not good parents or they did something to her," he said.

The inquest found Willow's parents did not give full consent to the biopsy, were not warned of possible risks and her death had been preventable.

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Trust is one of 12 in England currently having their maternity services examined as part of a rapid national review.

Mr and Mrs Courtney-Thompson said when their baby daughter was born their family "felt complete".

"You feel like finally you've got to where you want to be and as much as it's scary, if it's something you've always wanted... you feel like a family then," Mrs Courtney-Thompson said.

Willow was born prematurely and struggled to feed but after various tests, including a rectal biopsy, she was given the all clear and her parents were able to take her home.

A midwife came to visit the couple when she stopped feeding and decided to call an ambulance when she looked unwell.

"You instantly have the thought of 'oh my gosh what's going on'," Mrs Courtney-Thompson said.

"And then once you start watching them deteriorating right in front of you know... you know they're not going to be OK."

On 22 October 2024, Willow died at the John Radcliffe Hospital after attempts to save her life failed.

Mr Courtney-Thompson said they felt like "criminals" when the police came to speak to them.

"No parent should have to sit there and confirm the identity of your daughter to a police officer at 10 days old," he said.

The trust admitted a breach of duty by not providing Willow with the appropriate antibiotics before and after the biopsy, and then in allowing her to be sent home on the same day as the procedure.

They also admitted they failed to follow a formal consent process before performing the biopsy.

The recent review into maternity care by Baroness Amos called for better consultation, something the trust said it failed to do by not following a formal consent process before performing the biopsy.

Mrs Courtney-Thompson said the couple wanted to work with the hospital to change things.

"We don't want anyone else to go through this," she said. "If anything good can come out of this it can be to save another child."

Prof Brent said: "What happened to baby Willow was deeply tragic, and nothing I say can begin to diminish the pain that I know Willow's parents and family will be feeling.

"We have ensured that important lessons have been learnt about the care we provided to Willow, and we have made changes to our clinical practice to do everything possible to prevent this from happening again.

"There were critical shortfalls in Willow's care, and we didn't get it right – for that, I am truly sorry."

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