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Harry Richford would have survived but for failings by the hospital
An independent review will be held into maternity services at the East Kent NHS Trust after numerous avoidable baby deaths there in recent years.
In a written ministerial statement on Thursday Nadine Dorries, minister for patient safety, said the trust faces a “range of issues”.
She said the inquiry would be carried out by NHS England.
An independent support team has already been sent into the trust to ensure improvements are carried out.
Speaking in the House of Commons Ms Dorries said: “NHS England and NHS improvements are commissioning themselves an independent review into East Kent maternity services.”
She said the trust was having issues with “ensuring the right staff with the right skills in the right place”.
She added that midwives and doctors working clearly together was a problem, along with communication and leadership support.
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Harry Richford suffered irreversible brain damage during resuscitation delays
A series of failings came to light during the inquest of Harry Richford, who died seven days after his birth at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in November 2017.
Susan Acott, chief executive of the trust, said there had been “six or seven” avoidable deaths at the trust, including the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, since 2011.
However, the Department of Health and Social Care is examining 26 individual maternity cases.
During a board meeting earlier on Thursday Ms Acott was asked by a public governor if she would resign from her role.
She said “continuity” was “particularly important”.
‘Most harrowing call’
She added: “We need to use the memory of Harry Richford to jut really maintain out energy and focus.”
Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, earlier asked an urgent question and told the Commons: “This morning at an early hour I spoke with, for half an hour, a husband and wife living now in Australia who two months after the death of Harry Richford lost their own child under similarly tragic circumstances – and it was the most harrowing phone call I’ve ever taken in 36 years in this House of Commons.
“They deserve and need the opportunity to achieve closure and move forward.
“These parents need to know that the failures in protocol, that the failures in clinical judgment and that the failings in management have been addressed.”
Susan Acott earlier told a meeting she would not resign as chief executive of the hospital trust
Sir Roger said an independent inquiry would ensure the parents of Harry and others “will know that their children have not died in vain and that this will never, ever happen again”.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield said women in her constituency were “terrified” about using maternity services.
She added: “There are so many questions from my constituents.
“Dozens of whom are now really terrified about their future pregnancies and having babies in the area.”
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