New Cross Hospital report
16/06/2004
We just wanted to say thank you. We will never be able to repay you or express how grateful we are to you for all the support and help. There would have been no one in the world that we would have had in preference to you to act for us.
John, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A hospital maternity unit which was investigated after the deaths of three babies has been condemned for providing "impoverished" conditions for patients.
Alexander Harris are representing a client who is so traumatised by the events surrounding the death of her baby she is unable to speak out about her experience.
A Healthcare Commission report has highlighted a series of failings at the New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
They include poor standards of care, bad working relationships and "weak and inconsistent" management.
The investigation found the problems at the hospital resulted in staff failing to recognise when babies were at risk.
'Low profile'
In one of the incidents which led to the inquiry, Tracie Reynolds' baby Trinity was stillborn after a long labour and delayed emergency Caesarean in March 2003.
Two other babies died at the hospital in 2003, while a fourth woman's child survived after unsuccessful efforts at a delivery using forceps and ventouse suction.
The investigators found that maternity services had been given a low profile by the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, with attention focused on "performance targets, capital and services developments and growth".
Leadership at the trust was branded as "weak and inconsistent".
The report outlined urgent action needed to improve standards, including the upgrading of poor equipment and the recruitment of 20 more midwives.
Unit 'safe'
Facilities at the hospital were condemned, despite an award of £780,000 to modernise maternity services.
Chairman of the Healthcare Commission, Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, welcomed the work done so far to improve confidence in the unit and said the Commission would be monitoring the hospital's progress in implementing the recommendations.
Mark Hackett, chief executive of Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "From the detailed external reviews that have been carried out, we know we could have handled some cases differently. For this we apologise to these families.
"However, the external consultants and midwives who have helped us during our investigations have also told us they believe our unit is safe, with outcomes that are similar to other maternity departments in deprived areas."
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