Problems on ward probed by council

A panel has been told how the East Kent Hospitals Trust needs to be held properly accountable over maternity ward failings which led to deaths of newborn babies.

The trust was in the firing line from councillors sitting on Kent County Council’s health and overview scrutiny committee last Thursday.

More than 40 serious cases are being investigated - one committee member said - after a coroner ruled nine months ago that the death of newborn Harry Richford at Margate’s QEQM in 2017 was “wholly avoidable”.

The trust says steps are being taken to improve the service, including the hiring of four extra consultant obstetricians at QEQM, who are specialist doctors in providing medical care to women during pregnancy and birth.

Nine have also been recruited at the William Harvey this year, with working hours extended to 24/7 at the site and until 10pm at QEQM.

The trust says experienced staff are present on both wards.

More senior midwives have also been hired as they seek to address areas where improvements were required by care inspectors in January, notably governance and provision of safe care.

However, during the virtual public meeting, Gravesham council cabinet member Shane Mochrie-Cox (Lab) called for the trust to take more responsibility for the failings.

“I am not quite sure when we are talking about ‘people’ and ‘services’ that is going to be the best way forward,” he said.

“I want an absolute commitment that it’s patients and their voices and their experiences that will drive service delivery and improvements rather than more dashboards, more data and more remote decision making.”

Dr John Seaton, who was recently appointed the trust’s clinical director for women’s health to “strengthen” its leadership at senior level, said a fiveyear strategy was being worked on to look at the key aims for the trust to achieve with the service by 2025.

It would include input from all staff and patients, he added.