26th May 2023 – Nick was one of the guests on the Jeremy Vine show today invited to comment on the findings of the Care Quality Commission when they inspected the East Kent Maternity Department in January of this year, finding appalling hygiene, equipment and clinical practices in place, to the point where closing the William Harvey Unit was a real possibility.
Nick appeared alongside BBC South East health correspondent, Mark Norman, Helen Gittos whose daughter Harriet died in the Trust’s care in 2014 and Phil Linehan whose grandson Ashden was stillborn due to failings in care in 2012.
The Trust’s Chairman Niall Dickson was also interviewed by Jeremy.
Nick highlighted the lasting damage that occurs in these cases citing his experience of representing 30 women and their families who have lost babies, suffered maternal deaths or had serious neurological caused to their children – all totally unnecessarily.
He also highlighted the fact that the dangerous practices and procedures operating in the East Kent Maternity Department were first highlighted very starkly by the Royal College Of Gynecologists way back in February 2016 but senior management at the Trust thought they knew best and failed to act on the RCOG’s various ‘calls to action’ that still feature in the cases that we are dealing with today.
It is to be hoped that the much heralded attempts by the Trust to affect change, including senior appointments and a complete change of the culture operating throughout the Department will, at some point, finally, emerge from this Trust which has been under scrutiny, called to account, asked to improve, monitored and supported for many years now.
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