Shropshire baby deaths probe is outlined
An NHS watchdog today revealed a review into the avoidable deaths of babies at Shropshire's hospitals will focus on whether they were investigated properly.
NHS Improvement has outlined the terms of reference for the investigation into the deaths at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, which were ordered by the Health Secretary last month.
The health watchdog says it will "review the quality of the investigations and subsequent reports into the identified cohort of incidents", and "identify whether the investigations appropriately addressed the relevant concerns and issues from those incidents".
It will also be asked to find out if recommendations were accepted and appropriate actions were taken on findings relating the the deaths.
The review was launched after Shropshire parents Rhiannon Davies and Richard Stanton, and Kayleigh and Colin Griffiths, wrote to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, asking him to launch a public inquiry into maternity services at SaTH.
Mr Hunt stopped short of ordering a full inquiry but said that nine cases of avoidable deaths at the trust should be reviewed to establish whether they had been investigated properly.
The trust was the subject of a damning report relating to the death of Mrs Davies and Mr Stanton's daughter Kate, while an inquest ruled that the death of Mr and Mrs Griffiths' daughter, Pippa, could have been prevented.
NHS England has revealed the independent review will be conducted by a team of two midwives, two obstetricians, and two neonatologists.
The findings of that team will be submitted to a review panel with an NHS Improvement-appointed independent chair.
The panel will include an NHS Improvement-appointed director of midwifery from outside the region, a senior quality manager from NHS Improvement, an external independent midwife, an external consultant obstetrician, an external consultant paediatrician/ neonatologist, and an NHS England midwifery representative also from outside the region.
Following the review the panel will provide a report and recommendations of any actions required to Dr Kathy McLean, executive medical director at NHS Improvement.
Simon Wright, chief executive at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said the organisation is committed to helping the review team complete its work.
He said: We are co-operating fully with the review that the secretary of state has asked NHS England and NHS Improvement to perform to look into the robustness and effectiveness of our investigations into these tragic deaths.”
