Nottingham hospital trust 'won't contest' prosecution over death of baby 23 minutes after birth
An NHS hospital trust facing prosecution over the death of a baby girl have told ITV News Central they won't be contesting the case.
Wynter Andrews was born at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre in 2019, but an inquest heard gross failures by staff contributed to her death just 23 minutes later.
While at a meeting to discuss the progress of improvements of its maternity services, bosses at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust apologised again to the family, and vowed to do better in the future.
Chair of Trust meeting Nich Carver said: "Sadly we can’t change the Wynter Andrews situation, but we are absolutely committed to makes necessary changes ASAP."
Wynter's mother Sarah Andrews said she felt her concerns were dismissed leaving her "desperate, forgotten about, and abandoned."
Ms Andrews, a council worker who lives in Mansfield, was admitted to the hospital the day before giving birth at nearly 40 weeks pregnant.
An investigation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) ruled staff failed to recognise Ms Andrews was in established and not latent labour, failed to act on high blood pressure readings and carried out four "inaccurate and insufficient handovers" to colleagues as part of a catalogue of errors in the lead up to baby Wynter's death.
Midwives from the Queen's Medical Centre said they were "overworked and understaffed" and told the court they didn't feel able to professionally challenge colleagues.
The death of baby Wynter is just one case out of a number of deaths reported at Nottingham University Hospital's Trust.
Now, midwife Donna Ockenden, who investigated categoric failings in maternity care in Shrewsbury, is conducting an inquiry into failings stretching back years.
Over one hundred families wrote to the then Health Secretary Sajid Javid, calling for her to launch her investigation.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) told Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust it must make “significant and immediate improvements” to its maternity services as it said women and babies may not be safe.
A later inspection said that Nottingham City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre require improvement and maternity services at both sites remain rated inadequate overall.