Health board admits causing child’s brain injuries

A Welsh health board has admitted full responsibility for brain injuries suffered by a boy during his birth in 2019.

Swansea Bay University Health Board has admitted liability for brain injuries suffered by six-year-old Gethin Channon during his birth at the maternity unit of Singleton Hospital in Swansea.

Gethin sustained severe brain damage and now requires 24-hour specialist care.

During a court hearing in Cardiff in January, the health board accepted full responsibility for its neonatal care and for the injuries Gethin suffered.

The admission follows years of fighting by his parents, Sian and Robert Channon, to understand what happened to their son.

The health board apologised to the family for the trauma and life-changing consequences its failings caused, and for the time taken to admit liability.

It also issued an unreserved apology “to all women and families whose care has fallen well below the expected standard” after an independent review published today raised concerns about complaint handling, staffing and inconsistent care.

Following the report, the Welsh Government escalated the health board’s maternity and neonatal services to Level 4 intervention – the second-highest level – bringing enhanced monitoring and support.

Gethin’s mother, Sian Channon, told ITV News: “It doesn’t end because we have had an admission.

“For Gethin, he is still left with devastating injuries, and as a family, we have been crushed by what has happened to him. It’s been a fight that’s been exhausting and long-lived.”

The family say they were first alerted to potential treatment failures when a report by maternity investigator Dr Bill Kirkup uncovered several failings in Gethin’s care.

The Channons claimed the health board covered up Dr Kirkup’s review, while Dr Kirkup said the health board questioned his credentials and ignored all further correspondence. The health board denied attempting to suppress the report.

It has now admitted that failures during Gethin’s resuscitation led to his brain injuries, and has apologised for the role those failings played.

“We’ve come a long way from being told that what happened to Gethin was just one of those things,” Robert Channon told ITV News.

“From them challenging the letter and report from Dr Bill Kirkup, and the hostility that we faced and the multiple health board denials in public or media statements or board minutes, we should never have been put in that position when we were only fighting to get answers to what happened to our son.”

A Swansea Bay University Health Board spokesperson said: “We wrote to Mr and Mrs Channon on 21 October 2024 following an external review, which we had commissioned to look into the care we provided.

“That letter provided an unreserved and heartfelt apology and accepted liability on behalf of the health board for failings related to the care of their son following his birth.

“We have not commented on this publicly following the family’s own request to us last year for us to maintain confidentiality.

“However, as the family has now raised this publicly, we are now able to comment and would like to take the opportunity to reiterate the apology we made at the time, but this time in public, for the trauma and life-changing impacts that our failings have caused.

“We are also sorry for how long it took to come to a conclusion regarding our liability.”

The Channons’ solicitor, Keith Thomas from JCP Solicitors, said: “Gethin is a remarkable young man who faces his daily challenges with extraordinary courage and humour.

“It has been both a privilege and a pleasure to support him and his family as he works towards achieving his full potential.

“We have the utmost respect for Rob and Sian, whose tireless efforts to highlight the shortcomings in maternity and neonatal services within Swansea Bay University Health Board are truly commendable.

“Their determination will hopefully lead to meaningful improvements, which can only be for the benefit of all families across the region.

“We also welcome the Health Board’s early admission of liability in Gethin’s civil claim, which spared the family the additional stress of drawn-out court proceedings.”