Coroner Raises Hospital Communication Concerns After New Mother's Death

A coroner has called for improvements to communication between two NHS trusts following the death of a 30-year-old mother from Sussex.

Gemma Robins died on 13th June 2024, 40 days after giving birth to her first child, from a serious liver condition and inflammation of the pancreas.

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield has issued a prevention of future deaths report after hearing that clinicians at University Hospitals Sussex and Royal Surrey used a mixture of telephone calls, emails and text messages while discussing Ms Robins' treatment.

She said communication between the different specialist teams had become confused and warned the issue could pose a risk to future patients, although it was not found to have contributed to Ms Robins' death.

A separate report raised concerns about safeguards intended to ensure basic checks are completed during antenatal appointments.

University Hospitals Sussex says it has since introduced shared communication systems with specialist centres and updated clinical guidance, while Royal Surrey says it is working to introduce a more robust system.