Alice Topping has expressed her “rage” at the neglect she believes led to the preventable death of her baby daughter, Smokey. She claims that the maternity unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital (JR) in Oxford is too large, and that doctors there are “arrogant” and overly focused on their own research, rather than patient care.
“They took our daughter’s life and destroyed us,” said Ms Topping. “They could have easily prevented it.”
Ms Topping shared her heartbreaking story with the Keep the Horton General campaign group for the second volume of its Birth Trauma Dossier. The first volume, published in June, highlighted 50 cases of poor care at the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) Maternity Unit.
The publication is part of a push to reinstate full maternity services at Banbury’s Horton General Hospital, which was downgraded to a midwife-only service in 2016.
Too Big, Too Dangerous
Ms Topping believes the JR unit is simply too large to provide safe, personalized care. She argues that women face significant risks traveling long distances during labor or when complications arise.
“Having an obstetric unit in Banbury is a good idea,” she said. “But the problems go deeper. The JR seems more interested in experimenting with unproven systems, rather than following national safety guidelines.”
Ms Topping’s daughter, Smokey, died during labor last year in what she describes as a “totally preventable” death. “I’ve never experienced such horrific ‘care’,” she said. “I am having trauma therapy. My partner, Pedro Jacob, was turned away when he sought therapy for PTSD. He witnessed everything. He’s now on a seven-month waiting list.”
Issues with Screening and Scanning
Ms Topping is particularly critical of the ‘Oxford Growth Restriction Identification Pathway’ (OXGRIP), which uses set scanning pathways rather than individual assessments based on need.
“The pathway was designed to reduce unnecessary scans and lower the incidence of growth restriction and stillbirth,” she explained. “But ironically, they have an unwritten policy to avoid scans after 40 weeks. I was told I didn’t need a scan after 40 weeks, even though I was at high risk for preeclampsia and stillbirth.”
Despite being flagged as high risk at 20 weeks, Ms Topping says she was refused scans in the final weeks of her pregnancy, even after her daughter’s growth had slowed.
“My midwives were newly qualified and switched roles each month. They didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “They failed to follow up on my concerns, even after I asked 44 times in one day to be scanned.”
Ms Topping also described how a midwife told her the consultant believed scans were “not accurate” at her stage of pregnancy and that she “would not benefit” from one. Her sister, a midwife, raised serious concerns about Ms Topping’s care, but these were ignored.
Neglect and Heartbreaking Outcome
When Ms Topping went into labor, she was told to stay at home, despite her high-risk pregnancy. When she and Mr. Jacob were finally admitted to the hospital, they were told that Smokey had died.
“So many mistakes had to happen for my daughter to die,” she said. “It’s hard to even accept them as mistakes when my sister and I were telling them what they were doing was wrong.”
Ms Topping described the aftermath of the loss as “monumental” and “incomprehensible.” She says that the hospital’s failures have robbed her and her partner of a future with their daughter and taken away their sense of safety, trust, and happiness.
“We’ve lost everything,” she said. “We lost the joy of watching our daughter grow up. We’ve lost every birthday, every Christmas. The pain is unbearable. What they took away from Smokey is unspeakable.”
Ongoing Grief and Mistakes in the Investigation
Ms Topping said that after Smokey’s death, the hospital filled out her death certificate incorrectly, causing further delays to the funeral. She was also told that Smokey’s death occurred before labor, which was untrue, as she had been moving normally before labor started. The hospital said this error meant there would be no external investigation into the death.
“The clinical director said the scan wouldn’t have made a difference,” Ms Topping recalled. “Experts outside the OUH disagree. They also claimed Smokey was a ‘normal weight,’ but she was underweight at birth according to the post-mortem.”
The internal investigation into Smokey’s death concluded that the hospital had done nothing wrong, but a new consultant later admitted, “We totally failed you.”
Campaign for Change
Ms Topping has been supported by the Failed Families of the OUH Maternity Services Facebook group and urges other mothers to join. She is now calling for a full investigation into the maternity services at Oxford University Hospitals and the return of full maternity services to the Horton General.
An external investigation is underway by the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigators.
Yvonne Christley, Chief Nursing Officer at OUH, expressed her condolences to Ms Topping and her family. “Losing a baby is a devastating experience for any family, and our heartfelt condolences go out to Alice and her family and anyone who has experienced such a loss,” she said. However, she added, “We are unable to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
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