Last Updated 12th February 2026. Retained placenta claims can be made when healthcare providers fail to provide patients with the correct standard of care, causing otherwise avoidable harm. In the majority of deliveries, the placenta is typically delivered within 30 minutes following the birth of the baby. However, where the full placenta or portions of the membranes aren’t delivered, infection or haemorrhaging may occur, with devastating physical and psychological consequences.
You may be wondering whether you can seek retained placenta medical negligence compensation. While no amount of money can undo the trauma of what you endured, it can be used to help you recover lost earnings, fund private medical costs, and give you the financial relief you need to support your recovery in both the short and long term.
With years of experience, one of our dedicated medical negligence solicitors can advocate on your behalf to achieve a suitable settlement. Additionally, they can offer support and guidance throughout the claims process, whether by providing regular updates on your claim or assisting you in gathering the evidence needed to secure retained placenta compensation.
What You Need To Know
- What Is the Purpose of the Placenta? The placenta provides nutrition and oxygen to the unborn baby, whilst also transferring maternal immunity.
- What Are Some Causes of a Retained Placenta? Causes include the cervix closing before the placenta is delivered, the uterus failing to contract with enough strength to push the placenta out, or if the placenta grows too deeply in the uterine wall.
- How Much Compensation for a Retained Placenta? The amount of compensation you might receive will reflect the nature and extent of the physical harm and psychological distress you endured, and the financial losses this subsequently caused.
- What Evidence Can Prove Retained Placenta Negligence? Medical records, including pregnancy and delivery notes, ultrasound or surgical notes, and correspondence with the hospital, can all be useful evidence in proving retained placenta negligence.
- Can I Claim If I Had a C-Section? Yes, you can claim whether the baby was delivered via C-section or vaginal birth, so long as it can be proven that substandard care caused unnecessary harm.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert support that will prioritise your needs throughout the retained placenta claims process, please get in touch today.
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What Is A Retained Placenta?
A retained placenta is a condition that occurs when the placenta or a portion of it is left in the womb following the delivery of a baby. Typically, the placenta is fully expelled within 30 to 60 minutes of the birth, depending on whether the midwife uses physiological or active management. This is known as the third stage of labour.
Retained placentas have several causes and are typically diagnosed by physical examination or ultrasound. They affect around 3% of vaginal deliveries, but can also occur following a C-section. Without prompt identification and treatment, retained placentas may lead patients to experience heavier-than-normal blood loss and infections. This can potentially result in life-threatening sepsis.
There are 3 main types of retained placenta:
- Placenta adherens: Womb contractions are not strong enough to expel the placenta, leaving it too loosely attached to the wall of the uterus.
- Trapped placenta: The placenta detaches fully from the uterine wall, but becomes trapped inside the womb due to the cervix closing before it can be expelled.
- Placenta accreta: The placenta is attached too firmly to the uterine wall, resulting in a failure to separate. This can lead to serious, life-threatening complications.
If you would like to share your personal experience confidentially, our advisors are here to listen and address any questions you may have about retained placenta medical negligence compensation.
What Does The Placenta Do?
The placenta is an organ that separates the baby’s and mother’s blood supply whilst also linking the baby and mother. It is attached to the womb lining and the baby’s umbilical cord during pregnancy.
This organ carries out functions which the baby can not carry out itself. For instance, the placenta passes nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the baby’s blood supply through the umbilical cord. It then transports waste products from the baby to the mother to be disposed of.
A mother’s placenta also produces different hormones, allowing the baby to develop and grow. Babies are also protected from infection and bacteria (though not from viruses), as the placenta passes on antibodies from the mother. That provides immunity for up to 4 months.
What Causes A Retained Placenta?
There are 3 main causes or reasons why a placenta left in afterbirth may happen. These are:
- The womb either does not contract enough to separate the placenta from the womb wall or stops contracting, leaving the placenta in the uterus after delivery.
- The placenta does detach from the womb but is trapped by the cervix.
- The placenta embeds itself into the womb. This is more likely to happen in cases of a retained placenta after a C-section from a previous pregnancy. In such cases, the placenta might grow through the womb wall.
Such instances are more likely to occur in cases where a baby is born prematurely. However, they can happen after an abortion or a miscarriage.
Can a retained placenta pass naturally? It is possible that a retained placenta could be passed naturally. However, your midwife will determine the most appropriate course of action. If the medical staff failed to provide the correct standard of care, causing unnecessary suffering, then you may be able to make a retained placenta medical negligence compensation claim.
When Does A Retained Placenta Become Medical Negligence?
A retained placenta can become medical negligence when substandard care is provided, such as a failure to provide adequate postnatal monitoring, resulting in unnecessary patient suffering. Retained placenta claims may be brought if patients experience avoidable harm as a result of medical staff failing to:
- Identify warning signs: This includes failing to detect severe, persistent vaginal bleeding or assess known risk factors, such as previous uterine surgery or premature birth.
- Investigate red flag symptoms: Medical staff should take symptoms seriously, including heavier-than-normal bleeding and severe pain in the abdomen. A failure to listen to a patient, conduct a physical examination, or arrange an ultrasound can delay treatment. This may result in chronic pelvic pain, infection, and sepsis.
- Adequately monitor: Medical staff may fail to perform regular vital signs checks or monitor postpartum blood loss. This neglect can lead to a preventable secondary haemorrhage or infection.
- Make a timely medical intervention: Even if a retained placenta is correctly identified, your obstetrician may fail to see you for several hours. Such delays may cause life-threatening blood loss, anaemia, and serious infection.
However, not all instances of retained placenta are preventable. Retained placentas may occur naturally, even when medical staff provide the required standard of care. Furthermore, the presence of small fragments or retained products of conception (RPOC) following a vaginal delivery does not always indicate negligent care.
You can learn more about medical negligence and find out if you might have grounds to pursue retained placenta compensation by contacting our advisory team today.
Diagnosing A Retained Placenta
The process of diagnosing a retained placenta may occur if it is not delivered within specific timeframes, such as:
- Natural (or physiological) management of the third stage of labour: 1 hour.
- Active management of the third stage of labour: 3 minutes.
If you initially were unsuccessful in trying natural management, your midwife may move you on to active management to pass the placenta. At this point, if active management also does not work, you may need to have a manual removal.
When delivered, your doctor or midwife can examine the placenta to check if it is intact. Your doctor should be able to determine if even a small portion of the placenta is missing from what has been delivered. If your doctor or midwife thinks that there may be tissues left in your womb, they may carry out an investigation, such as performing an ultrasound. They will then recommend the appropriate course of action.
You can share your personal experience with our advisory team. They are available 24/7 and are here to help.
Could I Make A Retained Placenta Compensation Claim?
You could make a retained placenta compensation claim if you can establish that you suffered unnecessarily because of medical negligence. For the purposes of a retained placenta claim, negligence means that a medical professional or environment (such as a hospital) failed to meet their duty of care, causing unnecessary suffering.
When a medical professional treats you, they immediately owe you a duty of care. It means that they must provide you with the correct standard of care expected of them.
Different disciplines will require different steps to meet this duty. For example, doctors can follow the standards and guidance provided by the General Medical Council (GMC). No matter what their professional field is, they need to make sure that the care they provide meets a minimum expected standard.
However, it’s important to point out that not all harm is avoidable or caused by substandard care. You can learn more about what might constitute medical negligence by speaking with an advisor. They can also provide you with a free case assessment to see if you can claim retained placenta compensation.
Retained Placenta Compensation Payouts and Settlements
In a successful claim for retained placenta medical negligence, you could receive both general and special damages. General damages are the compensation for the pain and distress you may have suffered. Any associated financial losses are covered by special damages.
Below, we have listed a selection of suggested compensation brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines. This document publishes these brackets for various forms of harm, which your solicitor may use when assessing general damages.
Since the brackets are suggested, this table isn’t a guarantee of compensation. Please also note that the first entry in this table isn’t a JCG figure.
| Harm | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Severe Harm And Special Damages | Up to £500,000+ |
| Female Reproductive Damage a) | £140,210 to £207,260 |
| Female Reproductive Damage b) | £52,490 to £124,620 |
| Female Reproductive Damage c) | £68,440 to £87,070 |
| Female Reproductive Damage d) | £21,920 to £44,840 |
| Female Reproductive Damage e) | £8,060 to £22,800 |
| Female Reproductive Damage f) | £4,140 to £24,930 |
| Female Reproductive Damage g) | In the Region of £12,450 |
| Severe Psychiatric Damage | £66,920 to £141,240 |
| Moderately Severe Psychiatric Damage | £23,270 to £66,920 |
As mentioned, you may also be able to claim for the financial impact of the harm you endured. So long as you have proof like bank statements, you could be able to claim compensation for the cost of:
- Care from professionals or loved ones.
- Private medical treatments or medications.
- Mental health services like counselling or therapy.
- Loss of earnings if you needed to take time off from work.
- Any home adaptations or special equipment needed to support you.
Please reach out to one of our team for further guidance on proving special damages and how one of our solicitors might be able to help.
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How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Retained Placenta?
In general, you have 3 years to start a claim for retained placenta compensation. The Limitation Act 1980 establishes this legal time limit, which may begin from the date that the negligence occurred.
However, in some cases, medical negligence may not be immediately apparent. Therefore, the time limit may start from the date on which you learned that you suffered unnecessary harm because of it.
In some cases, time limits are frozen for individuals who cannot make retained placenta claims for themselves. This can apply to those who are:
- Mentally incapacitated: The 3-year time limit will only apply in cases where someone regains mental capacity, dated to when the recovery happens.
- Below the age of 18: Once a child turns 18, then they have 3 years in which to begin their claim.
Alternatively, another person can help claim on someone’s behalf while time limits are on hold by becoming a litigation friend. This role requires an adult (like a loved one) to act in the best interests of the claimant and maintain communications with their solicitor.
You can contact our advisors at any time to find out if you could claim retained placenta medical negligence compensation. They can provide further details regarding the process and answer any queries you have, such as ‘Can I claim for retained placenta on a No Win No Fee basis?’
No Win No Fee Claims For Retained Placenta Medical Negligence Compensation
Making No Win No Fee claims for retained placenta medical negligence compensation protects individuals from spiralling solicitor fees. Our solicitors work under a Conditional Fee Agreement, which means:
- No solicitor fees to start a claim.
- Not paying extra solicitor fees as a case moves forward.
- Zero solicitor fees if a claim fails.
Instead, if you win, you will pay for your solicitor’s work through a success fee. This fee is deducted from your compensation, but you’ll keep the bulk as the percentage taken is legally capped.
Contact Legal Expert
Our advisors are live 24/7, so you can always be sure to get a swift reply once you decide to contact Legal Expert. They can provide you with tailored advice and a free case assessment to see if you can claim with one of our experienced medical negligence solicitors. To get started, you can speak with our advisory team by:
- Calling on 0800 073 8804.
- Filling out our online ‘contact us’ form.
- Messaging an advisor through our live chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions concerning retained placenta negligence.
Who Is Responsible For Retained Placenta Negligence?
Healthcare providers, such as NHS trusts or private hospitals, are generally responsible for retained placenta negligence if a patient suffers unnecessarily due to substandard care before, during, or after labour.
Is Retained Placenta Common?
While there are no definitive total statistics for how common retained placentas are in the UK, the NHS estimates that the condition affects approximately 3% of vaginal deliveries.
Can I Claim Compensation If Doctors Delayed Removing My Placenta?
Yes, you can claim compensation if doctors delayed removing your placenta, and this resulted from negligent care that caused you avoidable harm. Such delays might occur from a failure to properly inspect the placenta, which may lead to a serious infection.
Can Midwives Be Held Responsible For Retained Placenta Negligence?
Midwives can be held responsible for retained placenta negligence, as they must follow required care standards. However, it’s important to note that claims are typically made against the relevant NHS trust or private healthcare provider.
Can I Claim If I Suffered Severe Bleeding Due To Retained Placenta?
Yes, you can claim if you suffered severe bleeding due to a retained placenta, provided this occurred because of negligent care and led to your unnecessary suffering.
Can I Claim If A Retained Placenta Affected My Fertility?
If a retained placenta affected your fertility, such as an emergency hysterectomy, you can claim for any avoidable physical and psychological harm you suffered from a medical professional’s failure to meet required standards.
Can I Claim Years After Childbirth Complications?
You can potentially claim years after childbirth complications, but it depends on when you became aware of the medical negligence. The time limit for medical negligence claims typically begins 3 years from the date of the negligent care or the date of knowledge of it.
Can Retained Placentas Be Prevented With Proper Medical Care?
Retained placentas can be prevented with proper medical care, such as regular monitoring and the prompt identification of risk factors. Not all cases are preventable, but the associated risks can be significantly reduced with active labour management.
Medical Resources And Claims Guides
Below, you can find some other medical negligence guides:
- Find out how to make a misdiagnosis claim.
- Learn how to make a medical negligence complaint.
- See how to prove medical negligence.
You can find out more about retained placentas from the following external resources:
- NHS overview of the stages of labour and birth.
- Read about the complications affecting the placenta in this NHS guide.
- Government information about antenatal screening programmes.
We hope our guide to retained placenta medical negligence compensation has helped you.