NHS staff get 'landmark' payout over gas exposure
The settlement follows the largest group legal action brought by midwives in the UK, says union.
NHS maternity staff at Basildon Hospital in Essex have received a landmark £735,000 in payouts after being exposed to excessive levels of nitrous oxide, also known as Entonox, used for pain relief during childbirth. The legal action, led by the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, involved 121 staff members, including 85 midwives, who experienced fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and brain fog due to prolonged exposure to gas levels 30 times higher than the legal workplace exposure limit between 2021 and 2023.
The trust admitted its negligence, apologised to the affected staff, and confirmed the payouts after admitting the staff had been exposed to dangerously high levels of the gas. The Royal College of Midwives hailed this as the largest group legal action ever brought by midwives in the UK, emphasizing that the delay in informing staff and implementing safety measures was unacceptable.
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