BBC News, North East and Cumbria<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A mum who says she has been left in chronic pain a year after giving birth has called for an NHS trust to be put into special measures.<\/p>\n Niki Cotson, 31, gave birth in April 2024 at the North Tees Hospital in Stockton before experiencing what she believes was poor care in the aftermath.<\/p>\n Miss Cotson, who has amassed more than 700 signatures to her petition calling for special measures to be imposed at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “My labour and postnatal care were traumatic.”<\/p>\n The hospital said it was always “dedicated to ensuring safe, quality care for all of our patients” and it continued to try to address any concerns raised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In the latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2022, both the maternity ward and the hospital were given a “requires improvement” rating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Miss Cotson said that despite not being in established labour, her waters were artificially ruptured for which she says she received no adequate explanation.<\/p>\n She said: “Following birth, I was promised a spinal block to manage my pain, but this was withdrawn without explanation.<\/p>\n “Instead, I was given dihydrocodeine while breastfeeding, without any warning of the risks.<\/p>\n “My baby became excessively drowsy, fed poorly and subsequently developed complications.”<\/p>\n After they were discharged, the 31-year-old said she never received a postpartum check.<\/p>\n Now, just over a year on, Miss Cotson said she lived with chronic pain, prolapse, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.<\/p>\n She said her son continued to struggle with health issues, including digestive problems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Other women have come forward to support her and shared their experiences at the Stockton maternity ward.<\/p>\n Nikki Stainsby, 35, from Hartlepool, reflected on her “horrific” experiences when she gave birth in October 2020.<\/p>\n She described being taken to a ward just an hour after giving birth and still bleeding, then being left in the same bloodstained sheets for 12 hours.<\/p>\n “It was only when I said I would get up and change them that they were finally changed and there was no offer to help with the pain,” she said.<\/p>\n Miss Stainsby was given stitches immediately after birth but weeks later she kept tearing them.<\/p>\n She added: “I went back to the doctors, who sent me to a gynaecologist who told me that they were wrong and I would have to have them cut open and re-done.<\/p>\n “It was horrific and my mood during that time was horrendous.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A North Tees Hospital Trust spokesperson said: “We continue to offer open lines of communication to try to address concerns raised.<\/p>\n “The trust works to support any complainant that raises concerns with our organisation. <\/p>\n “We would encourage working with our patient experience team to ensure individual cases are dealt with appropriately.<\/p>\n “We are always dedicated to ensuring safe, quality care for all of our patients.<\/p>\n “We continue to work closely with the Care Quality Commission to ensure all actions identified in our 2022 inspection have been enacted.”<\/p>\n NHS England has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Niki](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/4efa\/live\/623fd3c0-2698-11f0-b6c0-0f7b59fe8221.jpg.webp\")
Niki Cotson<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Chronic pain’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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