An inquest into the death of a baby boy has found “total and complete failures” in his care. Zachary Taylor-Smith died in November 2019, just 14 hours after he was born at the Royal Derby Hospital. His parents, who referred to his treatment as “appalling”, claimed that neglect was a contributing factor in his death. The inquest heard that midwives had acknowledged that “incorrect” actions were taken and that it was a mistake that he was not reviewed by the neo-natal team, despite warning signs such as raised respiratory rate and poor feeding.
The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB), which manages the hospital, admitted that had antibiotics been given to Zachary’s mother before his birth or the baby had been treated for infection after birth, his death from Group B Strep could have been avoided. The coroner, Susan Evans, confirmed that she would be producing a report about preventing future deaths due to the multiple missed opportunities that could have prevented Zachary’s demise.
Tim and Hannah, Zachary’s parents, have urged for a full review of Britain’s maternity services, arguing that the ordeal was not a “learning opportunity” but a tragedy that could have been avoided. Donna Ockenden, who is leading the investigation into NHS maternity failings in Nottingham, has been called upon by the couple to expand her review to encompass Derby and Burton-upon-Trent. Following Zachary’s death, the trust has said that changes have been implemented to enhance services, including developing a new scoring tool to “quickly and consistently identify any deterioration in newborn babies”.
The loss of a baby is always a heart-wrenching and devastating experience, and the UHDB has been “deeply sorry” for the failures that occurred during Zachary’s care. Garry Marsh, the executive chief nurse at the trust, acknowledged the mistakes made and noted that they should have provided antibiotics and responded to changes in Zachary’s condition differently
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