Clare and Tim Russell have struggled to come to terms with the death of their baby son, writes Sue Austin.

Clare, Tim and Cade Austin have struggled to come to terms with the loss of baby Dylan in 2003

Clare Russell sailed through her pregnancy and, when her waters broke five weeks early, she was reassured not to worry.

Just three days later, however, Clare and husband Tim were mourning the death of their newborn baby, Dylan.

The tragedy has left them devastated, their lives changed forever, and question after question unanswered.

Their four-year battle to gain answers has left them believing that the lack of staff on duty at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital at night meant it was too late to save little Dylan’s life.

Had an early decision been taken and had staff been available to perform a caesarean, they feel they may now have a five-year-old son enjoying life with Clare’s 14-year-old son, Cade.

Last month Clare and Tim from Madeley, Telford, reached an out-of-court settlement with an NHS Trust over the death of their baby.

Clare was awarded compensation after the negotiated settlement with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

The Trust made no formal admission of liability as part of the settlement. 

Dylan died in November 2003, just 41 minutes after he was born.

A statement from the couple’s solicitor said: “The hospital initially admitted in response to a formal complaint that there were abnormalities in labour which were not acted upon, but then sought to withdraw this admission thereafter to defend the claim made.”

Clare says she was told that Dylan was probably starved of oxygen for 20-25 minutes prior to his delivery.

After an uneventful pregnancy, despite the baby being in the breech position, Clare’s waters broke when she was just 35 weeks pregnant.

Tim took her to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where she was kept in for 48 hours before being told it was safe for her to go home.

“The next day my back was niggling all day. I had a sleep then a bath and then knew the baby was on the way. We arrived at the RSH at 10.40pm at night yet, despite the baby being breech and my waters having already broken at 35 weeks, there seemed to be no urgency among the staff.”

A heart tracer was used but Clare was told that because she was moving around too much it was difficult to monitor.

A junior doctor then saw her and eventually, at 12.25am, a registrar was called.

“I was told that I was going to give birth naturally. They put a monitor on Dylan and found he was losing oxygen.”

With few contractions Clare had to go through the labour with assistance and he was finally born at 1.10am.

He survived for just 41 minutes – the couple’s joy at expecting a baby turning to heartbreak and disbelief.

Clare says throughout the labour she was never offered a caesarean and believes earlier intervention with a caesarean could have saved her son’s life.

When she and Tim met with NHS staff in the days following Dylan’s death it emerged that the hospital did not have an anaesthetist assistant on duty overnight.

“I was told it was a resource policy decision,” she says. 

“The thing that hurts the most is that if I had gone into labour during the day Dylan may be alive today. My baby did not have the chance to live because there was not the staff to perform a caesarean.”

Clare and Tim believe that there were 45 minutes lost by not carrying out a caesarean and that made all the difference to Dylan’s chances.

“Dylan and ourselves paid the ultimate price for that resource policy decision. 

“Dylan’s death and the way he died has consumed our lives.”

Both Clare and Tim suffered from depression following their son’s death and say 14-year-old Cade not only lost out on having brothers and sisters but also suffered because of their grief.

“We wanted a big family but neither of us can face trying for another baby.”

Clare does not know how she would have got through the past four years without Tim and her mum.

“They have been there for me the whole time for me. My work colleagues have also been fantastic.”

Tim has also found working incredibly difficult since Dylan’s death.

“Colleagues who have had babies have been talking away about them – I have walked into the room and the place has fallen silent.”

He says friends who have brought their babies round to the couple’s home have helped, although it is still heartbreaking knowing he can never hold or play with his own son. 

Clare is now keen to help with a campaign by Sands, the charity that supports those affected by stillbirth or neonatal death.

Its “Why 17” campaign aims to find out why there are still 17 stillbirths or neonatal deaths in Britain every day. 

The campaign will be launched at the House of Commons in March and Clare plans to be there to highlight the heartbreak that affects so many parents and wider families.

A spokesman for the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said: “The Trust recognises this was a very traumatic event for the family, but there were a number of issues involved that were highly complex and difficult to resolve. 

“A compromised settlement was reached without any admissions of liability being made by the Trust.  

“The Trust’s maternity services have been given the highest rating possible – Best Performing – in an assessment by the independent Healthcare Commission this year, and is also one of only a handful of Trusts to have also attained the prestigious CNST Level Three, which means it meets the highest standards of managing clinical risk in the maternity department. 

“Not withstanding this, the Trust extends its deepest sympathies to Mr and Mrs Russell.”