Following the publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry, which looked at the tragic events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Aphra Brandreth, MP for Chester South and Eddisbury, shared the following statement.
Today, the Thirlwall Inquiry report was published, looking into the tragic events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, including the actions taken by managers, regulators and the wider NHS.
First and foremost, my thoughts are with the families of the babies who lost their lives. The impact of what happened on so many families and members of our community can never be forgotten.
The report makes clear that there were serious failings, and I know the Countess of Chester Hospital still has work to do to rebuild public trust.
The NHS Trust is undertaking a major overhaul, and I will continue to hold it to account and make sure the Government provides the support needed to deliver the improvements required.
The Government is considering the report’s recommendations and has already accepted a number of them, including CCTV for all cots and incubators in neonatal units, tighter controls around access to insulin, mandatory safeguarding training for staff, a harmonised IT system across the NHS and better handling of data.
There is a lot to take from this report, and I will be following the response closely. Above all, we owe it to the families affected to make sure the lessons from what happened are properly understood and acted upon so this can never happen again.
