Harry Richford: NHS trust pleads guilty to two counts of death of seven-day-old baby | UK News

An NHS trust has pleaded guilty to two counts for failing to provide safe care after the death of a newborn baby.

Harry Richford died seven days after his emergency delivery at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in November 2017. An investigation previously revealed his death was “completely preventable”.

His parents Tom and Sarah Richford have spent years campaigning for answers on why their son died and fighting for better motherhood safety.

The lawsuit, which is the first of its kind, was brought by the Care Quality Commission.

The NHS Trust at East Kent University Hospitals today admitted they have harmed Harry and Sarah Richford by failing to provide safe care and treatment.

After Harry’s mother went into labor, concerns were raised about Harry’s heartbeat.

It was decided that he had to be delivered, but it was not until an hour later that an attempt was made to deliver him using forceps, and an additional half hour until qu ‘he was born by emergency cesarean section.

The investigation found that Harry should have been delivered within 30 minutes of the decision being made and that the locum doctor who attempted the forceps delivery was inexperienced and had not been properly assessed.

Harry suffered irreversible brain damage and died a week later.

Harry’s mother said the guilty plea in court shows the care she and Harry received was substandard, adding that the family now had “some sort of justice for what happened”.

Sarah Richford told the Press Association: “We have a certain level of justice which means that although Harry’s life was short, I hope she made a difference and the other babies don’t die. not.”

“If someone had done this before Harry was born, he might be alive today,” she added.

Following the hearing at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court, Harry’s family issued …