Maternity scandal trust was warned over staffing six years ago, report reveals

A trust being investigated over maternity care failings was urged six years ago to strengthen its neonatal staffing, HSJ can reveal.

An external review into East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust — conducted in 2015 and kept under wraps until now — said it had insufficient staffing, and that medical consultants felt a lack of engagement with senior managers.

The trust released the review yesterday after its existence became public for the first time earlier this month.

Last year, the trust was heavily criticised at the inquest of baby Harry Richford, who died seven days after he was born at the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Hospital in Thanet. The Care Quality Commission is taking the trust to court over the case, and is the subject of an external inquiry.

Among the recommendations of the review, carried out by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, were that consultants and junior doctors covering the neonatal intensive care unit “should have responsibilities solely to that specialty”. Such a move would improve the quality and safety of the service, the review suggests. 

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Source: HSJ, 22 March 2021