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A mother has spoken of her devastation after her baby daughter died the day after being sent home from the Royal Bolton Hospital. Taylor Hough-Barnes, 26, was not admitted when she went into early labour after she attended the hospital with what she said were signs of labour. The following day Taylor’s waters broke, and after that she noticed that she could no longer feel her daughter, who she had named Myla Sleigh, moving.
After contacting the maternity department Taylor was asked to come in and it was discovered that Myla had died. Now Taylor has instructed law firm JMW in a bid to bring about changes. Taylor, who lives in Bolton with McCauley and their other children Alaiyah, four, and Cauley, three, said: “Myla would have been the youngest of the family and would have been our final child.
"Her siblings always talk about their baby sister, and it can be very hard for them to understand why she never came home. "They question often if they will ever have a baby brother or sister, but Myla will more than likely always be the baby of our family because having another child would now be too traumatic for her dad and me. “It’s awful to think the people we trusted with our lives have broken that trust.
"I also feel anger and guilt that I didn’t demand to be admitted and refuse to go home. By raising awareness, we hope to change how mothers are treated and ensure they are not made to feel stupid for having concerns during pregnancy. “We have to be strong for our other children, but no parent should ever have to say goodbye to their child, it is the most soul-destroying feeling.
Having to put all the baby things we had prepared away was very hard. "It felt as though we were putting Myla to one side and forgetting about her. It will be two years in July since she died but still feels like yesterday.
“Myla was very special to us all in words we cannot describe. "She will always be with us all - every time a butterfly passes by, we know that she’s around. Eventually we hope to give support to other families that have suffered similar tragedies in memory of Myla.
"Myla will always have a special place in all of our hearts, RIP darling daughter, kisses to the sky.” Taylor attended the hospital at 1.25pm on 12 July 2023 at 36 weeks with signs of labour but was sent home.
Her solicitors say that Bolton NHS Foundation Trust admitted that it should have kept Taylor in for monitoring which would have prevented the devastating loss. Taylor Hough-Barnes with partner McCauley Sleigh and their children Alaiyah and Cauley (Image: JMW) Have a story? Get in touch at eoin.mccaul@newsquest.
co.uk Madeleine Langmead, the medical negligence solicitor handling the family’s case, said that the death was “not only tragic” but also “completely preventable”. She said that Ms Hough-Barnes’ other two children were both born prematurely so she “correctly attended the hospital” after feeling contractions and some blood loss.
Ms Langmead said: “There was a high risk that her pregnancy with Myla would result in another premature birth, and this should have been identified and she should have been kept in. “The consequences of this poor care were completely devastating, and lessons must be learned so that it is never repeated.” READ MORE: Coroner: Neglect contributed to David Horsman's death READ MORE: Gynaecology negligence claims cost Bolton NHS FT £3million READ MORE: Tragic death of Bolton baby left home alone for 8 hours Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said they can't comment on claims that are still open but "deeply regret" when their care standards fall below expectations.
Tyrone Roberts, chief nursing officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We’re unable to comment on individual cases whilst claims are still open. Our staff strive to provide the highest quality of care, and we deeply regret when it falls below what we and our patients expect. "Whenever a claim is made against us as an organisation we always work closely with the family to listen their concerns and understand how we can make changes to improve the care we provide in the future.
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