The families of two new mums who died of herpes after having a C-section by the same surgeon have hit out at ‘disrespectful behaviour’ by NHS trusts as they continue their five-year ‘fight for answers’.
Kimberly Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, both died of herpes in 2018 after the same obstetrician performed their caesarean sections.
They died six weeks apart at a hospital run by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust (EKHUT) and called for an inquest into their deaths to look at how the mothers contracted the virus and their subsequent care.
At the inquest in Maidstone today, coroner Catherine Wood said it was ‘unlikely’ that the surgeon had caused the herpes infection in both women and denied any blame to any of the medical staff involved.
He said, however, that ‘suspicion should have been raised’ about Ms Mulcahy’s case as staff would have already become aware of Ms Sampson’s death, adding that both women should have been given antiviral treatment sooner.
First-time mum Samantha Mulcahy, 32, (pictured with her husband Ryan) died at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent.
Kimberly Sampson, 29, died at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in May 2018 and died at a London hospital later in the month after giving birth to her second child.
Speaking after today’s hearing, Ms Mulcahy’s heartbroken mother Nicola Foster and her stepfather Mark Trainor slammed the coroner’s summary as inaccurate.
Speaking after the hearing, Ms Mulcahy’s heartbroken mother Nicola Foster and her stepfather Mark Trainor condemned the coroner’s summary as inaccurate and said they would not give up their five-year search for the truth.
He said: ‘During this investigation it has become very clear that we will never get to the truth as the trust covers up and shuts us out at every opportunity.
‘They tried to punish us for taking help from the BBC… The trust is untruthful, dismissive and the staff members of the trust, including surgeon doctors, behaved arrogantly, defensively as if they were untouchable.’
The grieving mother added, ‘Both families will always believe Kim and Sam’s deaths were caused by something they acquired once in hospital and we have no reason to believe otherwise’.
Ms Foster referred to an expert witness called by the coroner and said she thought the coroner’s decision was ‘solely based on his witness and some summaries were wrong.’
He said he would continue to fight the investigation’s conclusion, adding that the family ‘can’t give up just yet’ because they ‘don’t feel like we’ve reached the real truth’.
Ms Sampson died in May 2018 at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, and died later in the month after giving birth to her second child at a London hospital. Less than two months later, first-time mum Mulcahy died at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent.
The coroner said: ‘This is a rare but often fatal disease and more needs to be done to raise awareness of it.
Mrs Sampson’s parents, Yvette and Louis Sampson, also spoke after the inquest saying they would ‘always be angry and upset’ about what they had to do to get to the truth.
The two women died six weeks apart at the hospital, which is run by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust. Photo: Mrs Mulcahy on her wedding day
The coroner at the Maidstone inquest today said it was ‘unlikely’ that the surgeon caused both women’s herpes infections. Photo: Mrs. Sampson
‘All the evidence suggests that early recognition can increase a positive outcome.’
The inquest previously heard in April how the surgeon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, could be a possible source of infection. But the surgeon told the inquest that his hands were fully scrubbed, double gloved and he wore a mask during the procedure.
He also said he had no wounds and was not infected but added that he had not been tested.
The coroner said those involved suggested the surgeon was trying to ‘plug the gap’ with a possible explanation but he ruled it was unlikely and ‘statistical coincidence could have occurred’.
The July 14 hearing also heard a legal challenge from the BBC and PA news agency to lift the anonymity order the trust applied to stop the surgeon’s name from being published.
EKHUT argued that the anonymity order was to protect the reputation and mental health of its staff member who claimed it would damage media reports of the case, but the media bid argued that fear for the surgeon was speculative.
After today’s conclusion Ms Foster said she still believed there was a link between her daughter’s death and the surgeon because of the way EKHUT tried to ‘shut the door in their faces’ when they tried to ask questions.
Yvette Sampson, Mrs Sampson’s mother, also said the trust did not listen to her and she will be ‘always angry’ at what they had to do to get the truth about her daughter’s death.
EKHUT argued that the anonymity order was to protect the reputation and mental health of its staff member who claimed it would damage media reports of the case, but the media bid argued that fears for the surgeon were speculative.
The coroner is expected to deliver descriptive verdicts for both Ms Sampson and Ms Mulcahy on July 26.
He said: ‘Faith didn’t really listen to me; They were more focused on trying to go away from the problem.
‘The last five years have felt like a real fight for answers.’
Ms Sampson added how the process had ‘changed her as a person’ over the past five years and she found it ‘difficult’ to understand how the trust worked.
The mother, standing by Mrs Sampson’s father Louis Sampson, said she would ‘always be angry and upset’ about what they had to do to get to the truth about Mrs Sampson’s death.
Family lawyer Anna Vrubel also said in a statement that the investigation found the trust in Ms Sampson’s care failed to provide her with antivirals.
Urging the trust to learn from the case, Ms Vrubel said: ‘Patient safety should be a fundamental priority. We see so many families whose lives are broken.’
The coroner is expected to deliver descriptive verdicts for both Ms Sampson and Ms Mulcahy on July 26.
Ms Wood deferred her decision on the anonymity order until the same hearing.
A spokesman for East Kent Hospital said: ‘We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of Samantha Mulcahy and Kimberley Sampson.
‘We are unable to comment further until the investigation is complete.’
MailOnline also contacted East Kent Hospital.