When 39-year-old Jacqui Hunter walked into Ninewells Hospital, she was heartbroken — but hopeful.
Her baby girl, Olivia, had died just days before her due date. All Jacqui wanted was to hold her one last time.
What she didn’t know was that doctors would give her eight times the recommended dose of a labour-inducing drug.
Hours later, after enduring waves of unbearable pain, Jacqui collapsed in her husband’s arms — and never woke up again.
“I lost my wife and daughter within 24 hours,” said her devastated husband, Lori-Mark Quate.
An inquiry later revealed that hospital staff never told the couple about the medication error — not even as Jacqui’s condition spiralled.
Experts said the overdose may have triggered a fatal reaction called amniotic fluid embolism, a rare but deadly complication.
NHS officials have since apologized, promising “deep regret” and system changes.
But Lori-Mark calls the investigation a whitewash. “They messed up… and she never got the chance to choose,” he said quietly.
Across Scotland, similar tragedies have sparked national reviews of maternity care — with families still asking the same haunting question:
How many lessons must be learned too late?
