工会表示，因暴露于过量一氧化二氮环境中的英国国民保健制度产科员工已获得总计73.5万英镑的“具有里程碑意义”的赔偿。
NHS maternity staff who were exposed to excessive levels of nitrous oxide have received "landmark" payouts totalling £735,000, a union said.
埃塞克斯郡的巴西尔登医院与121名员工达成了解赔协议，其中包括85名助产士。此前，这些员工在报告称气体浓度超过安全限值并出现疲劳、焦虑、头痛和“脑雾”症状后采取了法律行动。
Basildon Hospital in Essex settled claims from 121 staff, including 85 midwives, who took legal action after reporting fatigue, anxiety, headaches and "brain fog" after the gas levels breached safety limits.
中埃塞克斯和南埃塞克斯英国国民保健制度基金信托表示，已向员工致歉。
The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said it had apologised to staff.
英国皇家助产士学会表示，这是英国助产士发起规模最大的一次集体诉讼。这种气体也被称为恩托诺克斯，用于为分娩妇女提供临时止痛。
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said it was the largest group legal action ever brought by midwives in the UK. The gas, also known as Entonox, is used to provide temporary pain relief for women giving birth.
经查明，提起索赔的员工在漫长的轮班中连续数月乃至数年吸入了这种气体。
The staff members behind the claims were found to have breathed it in over long shifts for months and years.
根据巴西尔登医院的一份内部报告，在2021年至2023年期间，部分员工接触的气体浓度高达法定工作场所暴露限值的30倍。
According to an internal report from Basildon Hospital, some members of staff were exposed to levels up to 30 times higher than the legal workplace exposure limit between 2021 and 2023.
他们长达16个月未被告知由该信托委托进行的检测结果，该结果显示他们的暴露量已突破安全阈值。这一法律行动最初于5月由英国广播公司披露。
They were also not told for 16 months about test results commissioned by the trust that showed their exposure had breached safety thresholds. The legal action was first revealed by the BBC in May.
*该信托在承认其员工曾暴露于危险高浓度气体中后，就索赔达成了和解。
The trust settled the claims after admitting its staff had been exposed to dangerously high levels of the gas.
代表英格兰英国国民保健制度管理法律索赔和补偿案的英国国民保健制度解决署证实了这笔赔偿金。
NHS Resolution, which manages legal claims and compensation cases on behalf of the NHS in England, confirmed the payouts.
一名发言人表示：“我们可以确认，121起索赔已达成和解，总金额为73.5万英镑。其他一些索赔仍在处理中。我们不知道还有哪个由助产士发起的索赔群体规模更大。”据英国皇家助产士学会称，还有一起索赔尚未达成和解。
A spokesman said: "We can confirm that 121 claims have been settled for a total of £735,000. Some other claims remain outstanding. We are unaware of any larger group of claims brought by midwives." One claim has yet to be settled according to the RCM.
代表这些工人的汤普森律师事务所的丹尼尔·普埃特表示：“我们很自豪能为客户争取到赔偿，但他们本不该一开始就置于危险之中。”他补充说：“该信托在2021年就知道这些危险，但直到第二年才告知员工，又过了一年才引入安全措施。这种拖延是不可接受的。”
Daniel Poet, from Thompsons Solicitors, who represented the workers, said: "We are proud to have secured compensation for our clients, but they should never have been put at risk in the first place." "The trust knew about the dangers in 2021, but staff weren't told until the following year and it took another year for safety measures to be introduced. That delay is unacceptable," he added.
英国皇家助产士学会首席执行官兼秘书长吉尔·沃尔顿表示：“多年来，巴西尔登的助产士在照顾产妇和婴儿的同时，一直在呼吸危险浓度的一氧化二氮。”
Gill Walton, the RCM chief executive and general secretary, said: "For years, midwives at Basildon were breathing in nitrous oxide at dangerous levels while they cared for women and babies.
她表示：“即使在发现问题后，也过了一年多才通知员工。这简直令人无法接受，任何助产士都不应受到这样的对待。”
"Even once the problem had been discovered, it was more than a year before staff were told. That is simply not acceptable and no midwife should ever be treated that way," she said.
她接着说：“对于我们的会员来说，这是一个具有里程碑意义的和解协议，它应该让每一个英国国民保健制度雇主都警醒并予以关注。如果你不保护你的员工——英国皇家助产士学会将追究你的责任。”
She continued: "This is a landmark settlement for our members and it should make every NHS employer sit up and take notice. If you don't protect your staff - the RCM will hold you to account".
英国皇家助产士学会还致信英格兰的所有英国国民保健制度信托，提醒他们注意该气体的风险，并表示已就“该信托的不作为”向健康与安全执行局提出了关切。
The RCM has also written to every NHS trust in England to make them aware of the risks of the gas and said it had also "raised concerns about the trust's lack of action" with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
此后，英国皇家助产士学会直接与健康与安全执行局合作，更新并改进了关于使用恩托诺克斯的指导意见。
The RCM has since worked directly with the HSE to update and improve guidance on the use of Entonox.
中埃塞克斯和南埃塞克斯英国国民保健制度基金信托首席护理和质量官路易斯·克罗斯比表示：“我们已经承认，我们在解决这些问题时本应采取更快行动，并已向员工致歉。”
Louise Crosby, the chief nursing and quality officer for the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We have acknowledged that we should have acted faster to address the issues and have apologised to staff.
该信托表示：“自该事件发生以来，我们吸取了教训，作为其中的一部分，我们加强了对巴西尔登医院产科医疗气体监测的监管。”该信托补充说，其已在产科安装了废气回收设备，产妇可以放心安全地使用恩托诺克斯。您是否有关于埃塞克斯的新闻线索？请通过下方与我们联系。在英国广播公司音频、脸书、照片墙和
"Since the incident we have learnt lessons, and as part of this, we have improved our oversight of the monitoring of medical gases across the maternity unit at Basildon Hospital." The trust added that it had installed scavenger equipment at the maternity unit and that women could have confidence that it is safe to use Entonox. Do you have a story suggestion for Essex? Contact us below. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and