NHS Trust Wants Abortion Mother's Case To Be Dismissed

Hospital bosses are taking steps to see that the woman who sued them for £250,000 over failure to abort the fetus of a twin. Stacey Dow eventually gave birth to her daughter Jayde and sued the Perth Royal Infirmary for negligence and asked for maintenance for the girl.

However, the Perth Sheriff Court was told that Ms Dow then aged 16 was given no guarantees that the abortion would be successful. Ms Dow had the procedure done in January 2001 and had assumed that the twins had been aborted, but was horrified to see that she was still pregnant with one twin. By then it was too late to have an abortion. The NHS Trust, which is defending the claims, says that Jayde is a healthy girl and that the amount being claimed by the mother was too heavy. "Nothing said to (Ms Dow) by the doctor could or did mention a warranty that her pregnancy would be terminated," advocate David Stephenson, representing the hospital authority, said. "NHS patients do not normally contract with their health trust or health boards for the provision of medical service. These services are delivered as part of a statutory obligation." Stacey Dow contends that she suffered "distress and anxiety" after discovering her pregnancy and "pain and discomfort" when she had her daughter by Caesarean section. She added that she had also suffered financially since she was a single mother.