For many years East Kent NHS Trust has faced significant criticism for its maternity services.
An independent review in October 2022 (the Reading the Signals Report) led by Dr Bill Kirkup found that at least 45 babies might have survived with better care and 12 others who suffered brain damage could have had a different outcome. The investigation revealed a pattern of sub-optimal care including:
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Staff shortages
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Poor supervision of trainee midwives
When families affected by the failings complained to the Trust the same view found further shortcomings including:
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Inadequate responses to families’ concerns
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Lack of support for bereaved families
Despite efforts to improve, many families and staff believe that significant problems persist. Only last week it has been reported that a bereaved mum whose baby son was stillborn following poor care at an East Kent maternity unit will not receive any compensation despite having various meetings with the Trust to discuss what went wrong with her and her son’s care.
The Trust states that there is a recognised process for claiming compensation which ought to be used instead. If the mum wants to be properly compensated for what she has suffered she will now have to seek independent legal advice and make a civil claim for damages against the Trust.
This is a far from straightforward process and will involve obtaining reports from various independent experts to prove the claim to the necessary legal standard.
Frustratingly there will be no guarantee of a successful outcome despite the findings made following both internal & external investigations.
There are also strict time limits in place for bringing any medical negligence claim so any action will have to be taken quickly.
At Farleys, our medical negligence team has extensive experience of supporting clients who have suffered maternity care negligence in claiming compensation and seeking answers in relation to what they have experienced.
If you have been affected by poor care from any hospital during your pregnancy or the birth of your baby please get in touch with our expert team on 0845 287 0939, contact us by email, or use the online chat below.