An investigation into maternity services at two hospitals in East Kent has this week made severe and wide-ranging criticism of ‘every level within the services’.
Commissioned by the government, Dr Kirkup’s team investigated over 200 cases where families had raised concerns over the treatment which they or their loved ones had received at the hands of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. The parameters of the review involved cases between 2009 and 2020.
In its introduction, the report makes the shocking statement that ‘those responsible for the services too often provided clinical care that was suboptimal and led to significant harm, failed to listen to the families involved and acted in ways which made the experience of families unacceptably and distressingly poor.’
Furthermore, the report found that ‘had care been given to the nationally recognised standards, the outcome could have been different in 48% of the 202 cases assessed by the Panel.’ This included a different outcome for 45 out of the 65 babies who died under the Trust’s care during this time.
Opportunities to identify problems and make changed were repeatedly missed.
The report also takes a broader stance, noting that change needs to take place in maternity services nationwide to ensure that problems are identified and addressed before the point is reached where patients suffer harm. To this end, the report recommends four key areas requiring action:
• Monitoring safety performance
• Standards of clinical behaviour
• Team-working
• Organisational behaviour
An all-encompassing and damning statement within the report reads: ‘we have found that the origins of the harm we have identified and set out in this report lie in the failures of team-working, professionalism, compassion and listening.’
Specialist legal advice
If you or a loved one are struggling with the impact of a significant failing in maternity care, contact Glynns Solicitors, specialists in medical negligence compensation.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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