Teesside hospital child deaths prompt investigation

The trust's main hospital is the University Hospital of North Tees

A care watchdog has begun a review into hospital deaths involving two children on Teesside.

The North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reported the deaths as serious incidents and carried out its own investigation, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has learnt.

A review is now being carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

No details of the circumstances surrounding the deaths, or whether they are connected have been released.

The most recent CQC report on the trust - which operates hospitals in Stockton and Hartlepool, rated it as being "good" overall.

It is now conducting a review of events and the actions taken by the trust in connection with the deaths, which happened over the 2019-20 period.

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham, whose constituency includes the trust's main hospital the University Hospital of North Tees, said he had been briefed by trust officials over the matter.

'Processes followed'

He said: "There was a full internal and external investigation and the CQC are reviewing everything that happened at that time as the protocol requires.

"There were two child deaths and all processes were followed.

"The issue is whether or not the decisions that were taken originally were correct and that is the routine review that is going on now."

The CQC would not comment when contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A spokesman for the North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "The trust seeks to continue to learn from any incident and conducts a complete review where lessons can and should be learned.

"Where cases are ongoing, we are not at liberty to offer comment."