A recent review by the Perinatal Institute examining baby deaths has found that in a three year period (between 2013 and 2016), of the 41 baby deaths examined at Royal Derby Hospital, 19 may have been preventable (5 of these deaths were of new-born children and 14 were still births).
The failures in care identified include poor communication, scans not being performed, failure to act upon scan reports, symptoms going undiagnosed, along with erratic and inconsistent documentation and records being difficult to interpret. In addition, it was found that reviews carried out by Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust missed key learning points.
The report by the Perinatal Institute did however find good examples of care.
In response to the report, the Trust has apologised and said:
“The report has shown that on occasion the care we have offered has fallen short of the expected standard and for this we are sincerely sorry.”
“Many of the learning points highlighted in this report have already been identified as part of our Maternity Safety Improvement Plan and have, or are in the process of being, implemented.”
“We are fully committed to providing women, their babies and their families with safe, high quality maternity care.”
The Chief Nurse at Royal Derby Hospital has stated that due to the “significant changes” made by the Trust, there has been a “sharp reduction” in the number of stillborn deaths in 2017.
According to the NHS Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the stillbirth rate at the Trust is now:
“significantly below the national average“
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