More than 200 cases were investigated in the review ordered by ministers last year. in almost half the cases the result could have been different, with the right care. The publication of the report follows a five-year fight for justice by Derek Richford as he sought answers over the death of his grandson Harry at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent in 2017. Harry’s family, including parents Sarah and Tom Richford, have said their concerns were repeatedly brushed aside by hospital managers. “A dominant theme, which has been raised with us time and again, is the failure of trust staff to listen to women when they raised concerns, when they questioned their care and when they questioned the decisions made about their care.” the report said. The inquiry, which looked at maternity at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford between 2009 and 2020, found “major failures of teamwork in the Trust’s maternity services”. “Some staff acted as if they were in charge of separate fiefdoms, fostering a culture of tribalism,” the report said.
