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| East Kent hospital baby deaths: Harry Richford's family's five-year fight for justice | East Kent hospital baby deaths: Harry Richford's family's five-year fight for justice |
| (4 months later) | |
| Derek Richford believes lessons should have been learned sooner | Derek Richford believes lessons should have been learned sooner |
| Derek Richford believes lessons should have been learned sooner | Derek Richford believes lessons should have been learned sooner |
| The grandfather of a baby who died at a hospital that was fined over failings in the delivery has spoken of his five-year fight for justice. | The grandfather of a baby who died at a hospital that was fined over failings in the delivery has spoken of his five-year fight for justice. |
| Derek Richford was speaking as an independent report into baby deaths at the East Kent Hospitals Trust will be released this week. | Derek Richford was speaking as an independent report into baby deaths at the East Kent Hospitals Trust will be released this week. |
| He said he "came up against a brick wall" while searching for answers over the death of grandson Harry Richford. | He said he "came up against a brick wall" while searching for answers over the death of grandson Harry Richford. |
| The trust has apologised for the death, which it initially said was "expected". | The trust has apologised for the death, which it initially said was "expected". |
| Harry, seen with his parents Sarah and Tom Richford, died aged just seven days | Harry, seen with his parents Sarah and Tom Richford, died aged just seven days |
| An inquest into Harry's death at Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in 2017 found it was wholly avoidable and contributed to by neglect. | An inquest into Harry's death at Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in 2017 found it was wholly avoidable and contributed to by neglect. |
| Coroner Christopher Sutton-Mattocks said the inquest, which was finally held in 2020, was only ordered due to the family's persistence. | Coroner Christopher Sutton-Mattocks said the inquest, which was finally held in 2020, was only ordered due to the family's persistence. |
| The following year the trust was fined £733,000 after admitting failing to provide safe care and treatment for mother Sarah Richford and her son following a prosecution by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). | The following year the trust was fined £733,000 after admitting failing to provide safe care and treatment for mother Sarah Richford and her son following a prosecution by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). |
| 'Just didn't feel right' | 'Just didn't feel right' |
| Mr Richford said: "To start with we felt fairly alone and we felt like we were coming up against a brick wall. | Mr Richford said: "To start with we felt fairly alone and we felt like we were coming up against a brick wall. |
| "The trust were refusing at that time to call the coroner. They were reporting Harry's death as 'expected'. | "The trust were refusing at that time to call the coroner. They were reporting Harry's death as 'expected'. |
| "We didn't contact anyone other than the CQC just to say 'look there's been a problem here'." | "We didn't contact anyone other than the CQC just to say 'look there's been a problem here'." |
| He said at a meeting with the trust, more than five months later, "we suddenly realised that there were a huge [number] of errors". | He said at a meeting with the trust, more than five months later, "we suddenly realised that there were a huge [number] of errors". |
| "All of this was beginning to add up to things that just didn't feel right." | "All of this was beginning to add up to things that just didn't feel right." |
| Mr Richford told the BBC: "It took me about a year to come up with all the detail I needed and to speak to all the right people." | Mr Richford told the BBC: "It took me about a year to come up with all the detail I needed and to speak to all the right people." |
| He said the family then spoke to the Health Safety Investigation Branch who found there were issues. | He said the family then spoke to the Health Safety Investigation Branch who found there were issues. |
| Mr Richford also tracked down a "damning" report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). | Mr Richford also tracked down a "damning" report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). |
| "In the end it was like peeling back the layers of an onion, and the more you took off, the more you found," he said. | "In the end it was like peeling back the layers of an onion, and the more you took off, the more you found," he said. |
| In January 2019 the family were invited to London to meet CQC officials, Mr Richford said. | In January 2019 the family were invited to London to meet CQC officials, Mr Richford said. |
| "We showed them the RCOG report, and they said 'where did you see this? We've never seen it'," he added. | "We showed them the RCOG report, and they said 'where did you see this? We've never seen it'," he added. |
| 'Very dismissive' | 'Very dismissive' |
| Mr Richford said "people started really listening" when the inquest sparked media interest. | Mr Richford said "people started really listening" when the inquest sparked media interest. |
| But he said the trust "was very dismissive". | But he said the trust "was very dismissive". |
| He added: "If I find a brick wall, I'll find a way round, I'll go over it, and if I have to, I'll go under it." | He added: "If I find a brick wall, I'll find a way round, I'll go over it, and if I have to, I'll go under it." |
| The inquest found more than a dozen areas of concern in the care of Harry and his mother, including failings in the way an "inexperienced" doctor carried out the delivery, followed by delays in resuscitation. | The inquest found more than a dozen areas of concern in the care of Harry and his mother, including failings in the way an "inexperienced" doctor carried out the delivery, followed by delays in resuscitation. |
| Lawyers for some of the families affected by maternity failings at the trust are calling for any improvements identified in the upcoming report to be "implemented without delay". | Lawyers for some of the families affected by maternity failings at the trust are calling for any improvements identified in the upcoming report to be "implemented without delay". |
| Anita Jewitt, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said; "Too many maternity reviews have highlighted similar issues across the country and it's crucial that changes are made to prevent more heartache for families in future. " | Anita Jewitt, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said; "Too many maternity reviews have highlighted similar issues across the country and it's crucial that changes are made to prevent more heartache for families in future. " |
| Mr Richford said he did not want to hear more apologies from the trust. | Mr Richford said he did not want to hear more apologies from the trust. |
| "It's not good enough, they've got to make changes," he said. | "It's not good enough, they've got to make changes," he said. |
| "It's become absolutely clear, that had the trust learned from the errors they made at a very early stage, and I'm talking 2010, 2011, Harry and a whole lot more kids would be alive today." | "It's become absolutely clear, that had the trust learned from the errors they made at a very early stage, and I'm talking 2010, 2011, Harry and a whole lot more kids would be alive today." |
| Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. |
| Related Topics | |
| Children | |
| Margate | |
| Ashford | |
| NHS |