NHS trust prosecuted over death of seven-day-old baby
AN NHS trust is to be prosecuted over the “wholly avoidable” death of a sevenday-old baby in the first case of its kind.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is accused of exposing Harry Richford and his mother, Sarah, to “significant risk of avoidable harm” after his birth in “terrifying” and “chaotic” circumstances.
The trust is at the centre of a baby deaths scandal with questions over at least seven fatalities.
Mrs Richford and her husband, Tom, both teachers, welcomed the Care Quality Commission’s “landmark decision” to bring a criminal prosecution.
Mr Richford said: “We didn’t want Harry’s life to be in vain … we have had to scream and shout a lot and put our lives on hold for the past three years, which is not something we wanted to do … we wanted to grieve privately.
“By accepting responsibility, you then accept change and you make things better and that’s something this trust has failed to do for quite some time.”
The trust faces two charges under regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 after allegedly failing to provide safe treatment to Harry and his mother. It is thought to be the first time the watchdog has brought a prosecution over the safety of clinical care. All three previous prosecutions concerning “fundamental standards” introduced in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire care scandal involved mental health trusts and were linked to the safety of premises.
Susan Acott, East Kent Hospitals chief executive, said the trust had admitted failing to provide safe care and treatment and was “profoundly sorry” that its mistakes had led to Harry’s death.
Harry was born on his due date after a “textbook” pregnancy in 2017 in an operating theatre “full of panicking people” at Margate’s Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital.
Coroner Christopher Sutton-mattocks found his death was “contributed to by neglect” after a catalogue of failings. He was delivered by caesarean section more than 90 minutes later than he should have been with an inexperienced doctor in charge, and there were delays in seeking help from a senior doctor. Mr Sutton- Mattocks said Harry’s death was “wholly avoidable”.