An NHS trust hit by what could be the largest-ever maternity scandal has been given a six-figure fine over the death of a baby just 23 minutes after her birth.
Nottingham University Hospitals Foundation Trust must pay £800,000 after a prosecution was brought by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) over the death of Wynter Sophia Andrews in 2019.
An inquest into Wynter’s death in 2020 concluded that there was a “clear and obvious case of neglect” and “gross failings” that led to her avoidable death from a loss of oxygen flow to the brain.
The coroner ruled this could have been prevented if staff at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham had delivered her earlier.
The trust is facing an independent inquiry, led by the Shrewsbury inquiry chair Donna Ockenden, into more than 1,500 cases of alleged poor maternity care. The inquiry was launched after an investigation in 2021 by The Independent revealed dozens of cases of poor care.
Sentencing the trust on Friday at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Grace Leong said: “The catalogue of failings and errors exposed Mrs Andrews and her baby to a significant risk of harm which was avoidable, and such errors ultimately resulted in the death of Wynter and post-traumatic stress for Mrs Andrews and Mr Andrews.
“My assessment is that the level of culpability is high, where offences on Wynter and Mrs Andrews are concerned.
“There were systems in place, but there were so many procedures and practices where guidance was not followed or adhered to or implemented.”
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This is the first time the trust has been prosecuted by the CQC over maternity failings.
The judge said she was “acutely aware” that any fine would have to be paid out of public funds which would otherwise be spent on patient care.
However, said the “systematic failures” were “more than sufficient” to cause harm to Wynter and her mother.
In addition to the £800,000 fine, the trust will pay prosecution costs of £13,668 and a victim surcharge of £181.
Outside the court on Wednesday, Mrs Andrews said in a statement that her daughter and family had been “failed in the most cruel way” and urged other mothers who may have been through similar experiences to take part in the Ockenden Review.
The trust accepted wrongdoing to the CQC several months prior to Wednesday’s court hearing, with chief executive Anthony May reiterating its apology.
In a statement, he said: “We are truly sorry for the pain and grief that we caused Mr and Mrs Andrews due to failings in the maternity care we provided.
“We let them down at what should have been a joyous time in their lives.”
