Baby boy died at just 14 hours old following ‘total and complete failures’ in his basic hospital care

A BABY boy died at just 14 hours old after “total and complete failure” in his basic hospital care, an inquest has heard.

Zachary Taylor-Smith developed breathing problems and died at the Royal Derby Hospital in November 2022 after he was “failed by the very people who should have protected him”, his parents have said.

Zachary Taylor-Smith died just 14 hours after he was bornJMW Solicitors LLP

The inquest, which concluded on Tuesday, heard neglect by the hospital contributed to his sudden death.

The trust which treated him admitted they should have “responded differently” to the baby’s deteriorating condition.

Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard that Zachary was born at 36 weeks on November 17, 2022, and his mum Hannah was induced early due to recurrent asthma attacks.

He was originally in good condition but, shortly after his birth, showed signs of being unwell, including a drop in temperature, grunting and poor feeding, according to a statement from the parents after the hearing.

Midwives previously told the inquest “incorrect” actions were taken and that it was an error that Zachary was not reviewed by the neo-natal team, the BBC reported.

The Royal Derby Hospital had already admitted had antibiotics been given to the mum, Hannah, earlier, Zachary’s death from Group B Strep (GBS) could have been prevented.

GBS is a type of streptococcal bacteria that is very common and lives in one-fifth of all women’s vaginas and guts.

It’s usually harmless, but in some cases, the bug passes from the mother to the baby during birth, leading to GBS.

Screening has not been recommended by the UK National Screening Committee, meaning it’s not rolled out in all hospitals or offered to all mums.

Most babies with a GBS infection make a full recovery, but some develop serious conditions such as sepsis or meningitis. It can also lead to death

Coroner Susan Evans confirmed she would be writing a prevention of future deaths report over Zachary’s death, the BBC also said.

She said there were multiple missed opportunities to refer Zachary to a neo-natal team during his short life that could have prevented his death.

The inquest heard these referrals did not occur despite warning signs such as a raised respiratory rate and poor feeding.

The coroner said these were “total and complete failures in relation to basic care”.

In a statement shared by their lawyers, parents Tim and Hannah, from Lichfield in Staffordshire, said: “He [Zachary] was a child who was failed by the very people who should have protected, cared for and treated him.

They added: “What is particularly hard to come to terms with is the catalogue of errors made in my and Zachary’s care.

“Not one individual recognised that antibiotics should have been given to me during my labour; one simple action that the trust agreed would have made a difference.

“Midwives also did not recognise that he was deteriorating, which has been accepted was fundamental to their job.”

Nicola Wainwright, from JMW Solicitors London, who represented the family, said: “I cannot imagine how hard it was for Zachary’s parents to listen to failure after failure being listed, especially when most of them could have been avoided if only a proper system had been in place and national guidance had been followed.

She added: “The evidence we heard suggests that once Hannah was in the hospital for Zachary’s delivery, there were negligent failings by nearly every single member of staff who saw her or Zachary before his collapse.”

The trust’s maternity services were rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission in November.

Since Zachary’s death, a new system has been put in place to help staff identify deteriorating babies.

It includes ensuring regular checks for snoring and grunting – key signs of Strep B infection in babies.

Garry Marsh, executive chief nurse at the trust, said: “The loss of a baby is devastating and we are sincerely and deeply sorry for the failings in Zachary’s care, which we fully accept.

“We should have provided antibiotics and responded differently to changes in Zachary’s condition and we have been determined to put changes in place.”

He added: “Our thoughts very much remain with Hannah and Tim, who have suffered immense pain, and we are absolutely determined that the changes we have made will remain embedded to improve the care we give to babies, parents and their families.”