THE parents of a Wirral woman who died after going into premature labour continue to wait for answers after an inquest into her death was adjourned until the new year.

Carly Harper, of Orrysdale Road, West Kirby, died last May after being admitted to Arrowe Park Hospital three days earlier after her waters broke when she was almost 24 weeks' pregnant.

The 26-year-old hairdresser was expecting her first child with boyfriend Alex Dearden when she developed severe sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection, and the decision was taken to deliver the baby, resulting in a miscarriage.

Carly was taken immediately to the operating theatre and then to critical care, where she died on the morning of May 20 after suffering multiple organ failure.

Carly’s parents, Christine and Robert Harper, hope the inquest will finally give them the answers they seek as to why their daughter and her unborn child lost their lives.

Heswall residents Mr and Mrs Harper claim negligent medical care while in the maternity unit was to blame for Carly’s death.

Mr Harper said: “We were all talking to Carly, trying to encourage her to stay with us but she just wasn’t responding.

“Seeing your daughter like that is absolutely devastating.

“The look on the faces of the staff told me how grave the situation had become.

“All we could do was watch as she drifted away from us, and then she was gone.

“It felt like someone had pulled the rug from under us.

“Serious questions must be asked of the staff, procedures must be scrutinised and someone must be held accountable.”

Mr Harper added: “Two lives were lost that day and I will never let it go until our daughter and her baby receive justice.

“What we need is justice and to know that Carly didn’t die in vain, that things will change for the better. Then we will have closure.”


Stephanie Forman, from Simpson Millar Solicitors, is acting on behalf of Mr Harper against Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

She said: “The trust has produced a Serious Incident Review Report which recognises a number of failings in the care provided to Carly.

“The window of time when Carly’s life might have been saved was lost and her family are now living with the consequences.”

The inquest into Carly’s death began at Birkenhead Town Hall on Tuesday, but was adjourned until next year to allow for further documents to be submitted and more witnesses to be called.

A spokesman for the hospital trust said it was inappropriate to comment until the inquest had concluded.