Wait for answers after mum dies in Spanish hospital

The family of a pregnant Liverpool mum who died during labour at a Spanish hospital say they are still waiting for answers two-and-a-half years later.

Kelsey Brown, 34, was in “horrendous pain” and bleeding for more than five hours before she became unresponsive, an inquest heard.

An investigation is now underway into what happened at Ceram hospital in Marbella.

Miss Brown’s family said they were “hopeful” of some answers.

Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool heard a delivery of blood did not arrive until minutes before Miss Brown died, on 20 July, 2021 – more than five and a half hours after she began bleeding.

Miss Brown’s mum, Maria Brown, told the BBC her daughter was a “loving mum” to her surviving child, aged five at the time of her death.

Andre Rebello, senior coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, said his ability to investigate the circumstances of her death was limited because crucial medical documents had not been provided by the authorities in Spain.

The court heard hairdresser Miss Brown, who moved to Spain with her partner in December 2019, had been expecting her second child and all her antenatal appointments had been normal.

She went into labour on 20 July, and was admitted to Ceram hospital.

The court heard that shortly after her arrival at the hospital, a scan revealed that her baby had died.

Mr Rebello said: “Kelsey was advised she could not have a caesarean and she could not have an epidural, and would have to give birth naturally.”

At about 13:30 CEST (11:30 GMT) Miss Brown began losing blood, and medical staff arranged to deliver her baby using forceps.

Mr Rebello said Miss Brown’s partner and sister were also in attendance at the hospital, and described her as in “horrendous pain” and “bleeding profusely”.

The baby, named Tom, was delivered at 16:30, and it became clear his cord had been wrapped around his torso and arm preventing him from feeding.

The inquest heard Miss Brown was still bleeding but the hospital had no supplies of blood on-site. A consignment arrived at 18:45, but Miss Brown was declared dead by a doctor at 19:15.

Mr Rebello said a post-mortem examination had taken place in Spain, but the results were “withheld”.

The court heard Miss Brown’s body had been repatriated and a further post-mortem was carried out in Liverpool, but that medical notes about the care received at Ceram hospital were unavailable and the medical cause of death could not be ascertained without that “context”.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office had advised there could be lengthy delays before the Spanish authorities provided the results of an investigation.

Mr Rebello said he could only reach an open conclusion due to the lack of evidence.

He told Mr and Mrs Brown: “Hopefully the Spanish authorities will make efforts to bring justice to what occurred, they will be looking to see if there were opportunities to do something meaningful for a different outcome.”

Mrs Brown replied: “Hopefully they will give us some answers.”

Speaking outside the courthouse, Mrs Brown told the BBC: “Kelsey was a loving mum, she has left her five-year-old son behind. She was very healthy, she didn’t drink or smoke, Kelsey really looked after herself.

“She was a great daughter, a great sister and a great mum.”

Mr and Mrs Brown said they did not wish to comment on the circumstances of her death until the Spanish authorities had completed their investigation.

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