East Kent maternity deaths: Boss of troubled trust vows to end failings

Trust chief executive Tracey Fletcher

The chief executive of an under-fire NHS trust has vowed "enough is enough", as she pledged to act on a damning report into its maternity services.

Tracey Fletcher said East Kent Hospitals fully accepts the findings of a probe which found up to 45 babies might have survived with better care.

Speaking to BBC South East health correspondent Mark Norman, Ms Fletcher described the report as "profound".

"This report signals an enough is enough point," she said.

"We really do now need to continue with the improvement work we have done."

Ms Fletcher said one of the key improvements the trust needed to make going forward was "to both listen to our staff and listen to our patients".

Medical experts led by Dr Bill Kirkup CBE reviewed an 11-year period from 2009 at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate and the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

The report uncovered a "clear pattern" of "sub-optimal" care that led to significant harm, and said families were ignored.

It highlighted failings in areas including team-work, professionalism and compassion.

The trust later said that further maternity cases were to be investigated.

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