East Kent maternity deaths: Further cases to be investigated

Further maternity cases are to be investigated at a hospital trust which was heavily criticised in a damning report earlier this week.

An independent review into East Kent Hospitals Trust, published on Wednesday, found up to 45 babies might have survived with better care.

A senior nurse at the trust told a board meeting further "retrospective serious incidents" are to be looked at.

Trust bosses have apologised for the "harm and suffering" caused.

The independent review, which was chaired by Dr Bill Kirkup CBE, examined an 11-year period from 2009 at two hospitals in Margate and Ashford.

It found that of the 202 cases that were examined, up to 45 babies might have survived if they had received better care.

Sarah Shingler, chief of nursing and midwifery at the trust, told the board meeting further cases were to be looked at.

"I can't say too much as I now need to sit down with those families to see if they want to be involved in the investigation process," she added.

Niall Dickson, the trust's chairman, admitted there had been a "repeated ritual of defence and denial" at the two hospitals, the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate and the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

"The way we reacted when things went wrong compounded those failures," he said.

"We were not kind all the time to our patients, or indeed kind to each other."

The 182-page report uncovered a "clear pattern" of "sub-optimal" care.

Experts highlighted failings in areas including team-work, professionalism, compassion and listening to families.

Trust chief executive Tracey Fletcher apologised for the "harm and suffering" caused and said the trust would act on the report.

She told the meeting: "Families came to us expecting that we would care for them safely and we failed them."

She added that the trust had increased numbers of midwives and doctors, and invested in staff training and in listening to and acting on feedback.

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