Patient Claim Line Partner, Trevor Ward believes families shouldn’t be made to feel at fault after the loss of an infant.
Trevor followed events unfold at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust after a BBC investigation revealed, “multiple baby deaths” could have been prevented.
Since the report’s publication last month, four more families have come forward.
Kent NHS Hospital Trust: what we know so far
The trust is under the spotlight after its baby death rate is reportedly higher than the UK average.
Earlier this year, a BBC investigation reported at least seven preventable baby deaths may have occurred.
The Trust consists of five hospitals and community clinics and a figure close to 7,000 babies are born every year.
One of the babies, Harry Richford, died just one week after delivery in 2017. A post-mortem examination highlighted a ‘significant delay’ in resuscitation.
Since the investigation, reported January 2020, four more families have come forward.
In two of the most recent cases, the mothers are arguing the Trust left them feeling to blame for their babies’ deaths.
The Trust has since apologised to the families, acknowledging it has “not always provided the right standard of care”.
Since the investigation, a coroner has made 19 recommendations for improvement of the maternity unit.
A board sub-committee has also been set up to ensure the Trust complies with future recommendations.
Preventable deaths through better care, will change happen?
In January, Lauren argued East Kent NHS Trust could have done more to follow CQC guidelines and that the NHS has to be absolute in its duty of care to patients.
Now four more families have come forward, the (insert age) trainee solicitor is disturbed by the heart-breaking evidence.