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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Northern Health Trust: Five babies among 11 deaths probed | Northern Health Trust: Five babies among 11 deaths probed |
| (about 4 hours 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 | 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. | 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. | "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. | "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." | "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." | 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". | 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. | "I think there are very serious questions [to answer]," she said. |
| 'Fallen short' | |
| In a statement, the trust said it recognised that on certain occasions it had "fallen short of the standards the public should expect from us". | |
| "More critically, we failed to learn from these incidents. To those people affected we apologise," the statement said. | |
| "We have identified 20 separate incidents over a five-year period where the response by the trust was below standard. We have advised the department and welcome the minster's statement today and his continued support." | |
| The statement said patients and their families had been let down. | |
| It said it would work to try and prevent that happening in the future and was committed to "a culture of openness and transparency". | |
| The trust said that changing the culture was the key to turning the organisation around. |