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| Northern Health Trust: Five babies among 11 deaths probed | Northern Health Trust: Five babies among 11 deaths probed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The deaths of five babies are among 11 under investigation at the Northern Health Trust. | The deaths of five babies are among 11 under investigation at the Northern Health Trust. |
| The health minister told the Northern Ireland Assembly that he had been made aware of 20 cases in which the trust's response was said to be below standard. | The health minister told the Northern Ireland Assembly that he had been made aware of 20 cases in which the trust's response was said to be below standard. |
| The patients were seen in the emergency, obstetrics, gynaecology or X ray departments. | The patients were seen in the emergency, obstetrics, gynaecology or X ray departments. |
| It is not clear whether the deaths were avoidable. Edwin Poots said the trust's response should have been better. | It is not clear whether the deaths were avoidable. Edwin Poots said the trust's response should have been better. |
| He said this was especially true, where cases were not identified as "serious adverse incidents". | He said this was especially true, where cases were not identified as "serious adverse incidents". |
| It is understood the babies were either born prematurely or were less than a month old. | It is understood the babies were either born prematurely or were less than a month old. |
| The trust is also completing a review of about 35,000 X rays taken at the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, County Londonderry, between 2011 and 2012. | The trust is also completing a review of about 35,000 X rays taken at the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, County Londonderry, between 2011 and 2012. |
| Nine patients have been recalled. That review is now being extended across the entire health trust, involving 48,000 X rays. | Nine patients have been recalled. That review is now being extended across the entire health trust, involving 48,000 X rays. |
| Turnaround team | |
| Health Minister Edwin Poots said the cases, which date from 2008 until the present, were discovered by a "turnaround team" he had sent to the trust. | |
| "I wasn't happy with the Northern Trust, I wasn't happy with the way things were being done there and that's why I put a turnaround team in," he said. | |
| "We do need to offset that with the fact that the Northern Trust was dealing with tens of thousands of cases. | |
| "The Northern Trust is in a considerably better place than when I inherited it in 2011." | |
| Mr Poots said Northern Ireland's hospitals "are safe places", but added: "Do we run perfect hospitals? We don't." | |
| Maeve McLaughlin, the chair of the assembly's health committee, said the the news of the cases was "quite alarming". | |
| "I think there are very serious questions [to answer]," she said. |