Clinical Negligence | Mothers high death rate

A professor has been put in charge of a troubled London maternity unit amidst concern about a series of deaths of mothers.

Professor Arul Kumaran, of St George’s Hospital, has been given the job of ensuring services are safe at Northwick Park Hospital. And daily supervision of services will come from Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, London.

The government ordered special measures at Northwick Park Hospital after the Healthcare Commission decreed there are "serious system failures" at the hospital. The commission has been investigating a series of ten deaths of women over three years - a death rate about five times the national rate.

The most recent was in the last few weeks and led to commission staff "raiding" the hospital. They found that the maternity unit had not implemented an agreed course of action to raise standards.

It now plans a detailed investigation of each of the ten deaths.

Commission chairman Sir Ian Kennedy said: "We found serious problems with these services and no longer had sufficient confidence that the Trust could resolve them without external help.

"Under these circumstances, we must take immediate action to protect the safety of patients."

Source of news | Staff Nurse

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Date: April 22nd 2005