McCready Couple Tell Amos Inquiry Delayed C-Section Led to Daughter's 2023 Stillbirth
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 11
McCready Couple Tell Amos Inquiry Delayed C-Section Led to Daughter's 2023 Stillbirth
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 11
Lauryn and Andrew McCready told the Amos maternity inquiry that errors during labour at Luton and Dunstable Hospital in September 2023 led to their daughter Lois being stillborn.
A Category 1 C-section was called at about 03:30 but, they said, its urgency was downgraded and Lois was delivered only at 04:26 after clinicians could no longer detect a heartbeat.
An NHS maternity safety investigation found failures in fetal monitoring, risk recording, written handovers and escalation to obstetricians, as well as excessive vaginal examinations that increased infection risk.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust settled the couple's negligence claim out of court in 2025, accepting that an earlier C-section would probably have resulted in Lois being born alive.
The case feeds into wider scrutiny of maternity care: the trust's maternity services were again rated inadequate in January 2026, and the couple are urging national reforms including an independent maternity commissioner.
With inquiries revealing a broken system, can recruiting more staff truly prevent the next maternity tragedy?
As negligence payouts soar, can the NHS afford both justice for families and the reforms needed to ensure safety?