‘Our baby died four years ago and we still don’t know how or why’

The wait for answers continues for two grieving parents who lost their newborn son after NHS failings led to him suffering a catastrophic lack of oxygen during labour at a Welsh hospital.

Kianty and Conor Simpson’s son Jacob was born at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen in June 2022. Following complications during his birth he was resuscitated and transferred to Singleton Hospital in Swansea, where he died four days later.

Hywel Dda University Health Board – which manages healthcare across Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion – undertook an internal investigation and identified failures in baby Jacob’s care.

These included poor communication, inadequate foetal monitoring, failures to escalate concerns and a lack of transparency about emerging risks. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here.

The health board accepted that, but for those failings, Jacob would have survived. However, the investigation did not determine which failings caused his death nor did it fully explain how the tragedy occurred.

Mr and Mrs Simpson are still waiting for those questions to be answered more than four years after Jacob’s death.

On Thursday, July 23, a second pre-inquest review hearing was held in Llanelli Town Hall chaired by the assistant coroner for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, Paul Bennett. Mr and Mrs Simpson attended the hearing remotely online, along with their solicitor and representatives from the health board.

Thursday’s hearing concluded without a firm date for a full inquest. Instead, a third pre-inquest review has been set for later in 2026, meaning a full inquest is unlikely to take place until at least next year.

Speaking before the most recent pre-inquest review, Mrs Simpson said: “Four years on, we are still waiting for answers about how and why our son died.

“Every milestone seems to come with another wait. We feel as though our lives have been on hold for years while we try to understand what happened to Jacob.

“We know there were failings in his care, but we still do not know exactly how those failings led to his death or whether lessons have been learned. All we want is the truth about what happened to our son.”

Mr Simpson added: “The long delays are very unfair and have made this incredibly difficult process even more agonising. For years we have been told that answers would come through the inquest, but we are still waiting for that hearing to take place.

“What matters most to us is understanding what happened to Jacob and making sure those circumstances are properly examined, accounted for and learnt from.”

The Simpsons have been supported in their quest for answers by legal firm Switalskis. Chantelle Cooper, associate solicitor at Switalskis, said: “Kianty and Conor have spent almost four years waiting for answers about how and why their son died. After such a long wait, that ongoing uncertainty is incredibly difficult for them.

“The health board has accepted that failings occurred and that Jacob would have survived but for those failings. Yet the questions at the heart of this case remain unanswered.

“Inquests play a vital role in establishing the facts surrounding a death, identifying lessons that can be learned, and providing public scrutiny where serious concerns have been identified. Bereaved families should not have to wait years for that process to take place.”

Speaking at Thursday’s pre-inquest review hearing, assistant coroner Mr Bennett addressed Mr and Mrs Simpson and said: “I am conscious that this has taken a significant amount of time. I want to offer my sincere apologies for that.”

Another pre-inquest review hearing will now take place on October 12.

On Thursday Sharon Daniel, director of nursing, quality and patient experience at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family who continue to deal with their loss.

“We can’t comment on individual cases because we need to protect our patients’ confidentiality and as the inquest is ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.

“In the event of a serious incident we have robust processes in place for reviewing the incident internally, identifying any issues and, where appropriate, preparing an improvement plan to prevent such an occurrence in the future.

“We regret any such incidents and always seek to learn from them. We try to engage with those directly affected whenever there is a cause for concern.”