Review finds 8 stillborn babies might have survived with better care at East Kent Hospitals
The hospital trust has issued an apology
An independent review has found 8 babies might have survived had they'd received better maternity care in hospitals in East Kent.
It looked at 11 stillbirths which happened between June last year and March this year.
The babies were all born at 34 weeks or later.
The review highlighted failures to manage high-risk pregnancies, provide proper triage and spot concerns over babies' growth.
East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust runs the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate.
They've apologised for the failings and say they're now working with the National Maternity and Neonatal Intensive Support Team to ensure their services meet the standards women and families deserve.
In a statement on their website they say:
"This review is clear that sadly, we have failed families. We are truly sorry.
"We asked for this review after increased safety monitoring within our maternity service, implemented after Dr Bill Kirkup’s investigation, enabled us to quickly identify an increase in the number of stillbirths at our Trust. We investigated each stillbirth and commissioned this independent review of 11 stillbirths to identify any common themes and learning.
"We have published the review’s report because we understand how important it is to be open when things go wrong.
"We have shared the findings of the review with our regulators and commissioners, and have asked for additional support in addressing the issues it raises. To that end, we are working with the national Maternity and Neonatal Intensive Support Team to ensure our services meet the standards women and families deserve.
"We are implementing the review’s recommendations in full, including improving continuity of care for women with high-risk pregnancies, maternity triage, enhancing staff training and increasing the amount of translated information and access to interpreters."
Trust will consider the review's findings when it meets today.