• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
15 June, 2025
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home Brighton

Two infant deaths in maternity department at Brighton hospital trust under investigation

by Frank le Duc
Wednesday 27 Mar, 2019 at 7:15PM
A A
0
Two infant deaths in maternity department at Brighton hospital trust under investigation

Investigators are looking into the deaths of two babies who died during or shortly after birth in hospital last month.

But the external independent investigations could take up to nine months, hospital bosses were told today (Wednesday 27 March).

So Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is carrying out its own review to find out whether lessons can be learnt more quickly.

The trust has maternity units at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH), in Haywards Heath.

A report to the trust board, meeting in Brighton today, set out details of “serious incidents requiring investigation”, also known as “SIRI”s or “SI”s.

The report said: “There were four serious incidents declared during the period December to February.

“Currently two of the SIs reported resulted in death. Both of these are in maternity and are being investigated by the Health Service Investigation Branch (HSIB).

“This process is new and this has led to some protracted timescales for investigations. The maternity teams are supporting the families during this period.”

Chief medical officer George Findlay said: “We are doing our own review for immediate learning.”

Dr Findlay added: “Because it’s taking up to nine months to report we feel we have lost the relationship with the families. They’ve been going through a bad time.

“That’s proved quite difficult to manage. You then have to reconcile that as many of these families have subsequent pregnancies and babies and they rely on us for that.”

About 260 babies a month – or more than 3,000 a year – are born at the Royal Sussex and almost 200 a month – or 2,400 a year – at the PRH.

Across the country more than 100 newborns die on average every month. In 2016 more than 1,300 babies who were born after 24 weeks died in their first 28 days of life.

Nicola Ranger

The trust’s chief nursing and patient safety officer Nicola Ranger said that the HSIB investigations were similar to those after air crashes.

She told the board that in the past year there were 11 investigations at the trust, with a similar number at the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Ms Ranger said that she had spoken to the chief maternity officer for England about internal reviews, saying that the trust wanted to make sure that they were as objective as possible.

She said: “Our relationship with the family changes, as that is with the HSIB. This has made it quite challenging in reality.

“We will still have to do our own internal review when something happens. If something needs to change, we need to get on to that straight away.

“Our concern with the process is it is taking a long time and putting us on the back foot.”

One of the trust’s non-executive directors, Malcolm Reed, was shocked to hear that it would take so long, for the sake of the families involved.

Professor Reed, who runs Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said: “Nine months with no feedback? That is catastrophic.

“If people are wanting to consider another pregnancy within that six to nine-month period, you can’t do it until you have been told why this child died.”

Trust chief executive Dame Marianne Griffiths said that the trust had invited the national director of maternity services to talk to staff to find ways to move forward.

ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

Former teacher honoured by King

Brighton man faces court charged with rape

Historic church prepares to take down scaffolding after 11 years

Neighbours thwart plans for 24/7 Burger King

Former Brighton councillor becomes CBE

King honours Brighton nurse turned politician, teacher, editor and others

Brighton school goes from special measures to good in three years

Two infant deaths in maternity department at Brighton hospital trust under investigation

A deeply unequal city

Royal Albion Hotel owner submits plan for latest demolition work

Newsletter

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Food and Drink
Top Left Club staying sick as ever!

Top Left Club staying sick as ever!

15 June 2025
Post-punk legends Theatre Of Hate play secret Brighton gig

Post-punk legends Theatre Of Hate play secret Brighton gig

14 June 2025
Gary Numan announces Brighton Centre concert as part of ‘Telekon 45’ tour

Gary Numan announces Brighton Centre concert as part of ‘Telekon 45’ tour

13 June 2025
In ‘Paradise’ with Safire in Brighton

In ‘Paradise’ with Safire in Brighton

10 June 2025
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Sussex Sharks open T20 Blast with a win

Sussex Sharks stay top of their group with T20 triumph at Glamorgan

by Blake Bint - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
14 June 2025
0

Glamorgan 172 (18.5 overs) Sussex 199-7 (20 overs) Sussex won by 27 runs. Sussex 4 points, Glamorgan 0 points. Sussex...

Sussex Sharks open T20 Blast with a win

Rain saves Sussex Sharks in T20 against Essex at Hove

by Adrian Colley
13 June 2025
0

Sussex 23-3 (3.1 overs) Essex 177-4 (17 overs) No result Essex’s hopes of claiming their first win of the season...

Brighton and Hove Albion announce Kostoulas signing

Brighton and Hove Albion announce Kostoulas signing

by Frank le Duc
12 June 2025
0

Brighton and Hove Albion have announced the signing of 18-year-old striker Charalampos Kostoulas from Greek champions Olympiacos on a five-year...

Brighton and Hove Albion agree £30m deal for 18-year-old Greek forward

Brighton and Hove Albion agree £30m deal for 18-year-old Greek forward

by Frank le Duc
12 June 2025
0

Brighton and Hove Albion have agreed a £30 million deal to sign 18-year-old Greek forward Charalampos Kostoulas, according to the...

Load More
March 2019
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Feb   Apr »

RSS From Sussex News

  • King honours longest-serving firefighter 14 June 2025
  • Chief Constable awarded King’s Police Medal 14 June 2025
  • Former MP made a CBE in honours list 14 June 2025
  • Council leader becomes OBE in King’s birthday honours list 13 June 2025
  • Gatwick-bound flight crashes 12 June 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News