Baby A inquest resumes with further concerns raised

Tuesday 27 February 2018

The inquest into the death of a baby at Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital has resumed and been adjourned again.

Judge Philip Robey, who is presiding over the inquest, heard concerns raised by the parent's of Baby A with their lawyer saying he is contemplating a legal challenge against the role of HM Procurer in the hearing.

The parents' lawyer said there are concerns the law officers had set parameters for the inquest before it had officially opened and that he wants the Procurer's role in the hearing to be formally established. He believes there are grounds for concerns saying the hearing may be biased. The parents are said to want to understand how the inquest process works, with concerns over the Procurer's role in this case and the large number of documents which have been produced for it and also what can happen if any civil or criminal activity is proven to have caused their son's death.

The hearing, on Monday 26 February, also heard continuing concerns about the disclosure of evidence with a number of documents still to be shared between all of the parties involved. 

Judge Robey adjourned the inquest for two weeks so the lawyer representing Baby A's parents can consider what action to take next.

The inquest has been designated a lot of court time, with a number of preliminary hearings between a scheduled two week hearing between 18 June and 1 July, where all of the evidence is expected to be heard.

Pictured: Guernsey's Royal Court, where Baby A's inquest is being heard  

Baby A, whose name was Jack, died in 2014. His death sparked a review of midwifery services in the Bailiwick of Guernsey which at the time found a number of faults. Since then, two Guernsey midwives have both been struck off the nursing register following the death of Baby A, and also a second infant, known as Baby B, who died in September 2012.

The investigation into Baby B's death came as a result of the investigation into Baby A, which revealed further failings in midwifery care in Guernsey at the time.

Overall, three midwives were investigated and have faced sanctions in relation to the two infants' deaths.

During a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing in 2017, Lisa Granville and Tuija Roussel were found guilty of serious misconduct and failures relating to the deaths, while a third, Antonia Manousaki, was suspended for a year by the NMC.

Investigations into Baby A's death previously heard that staff administered drugs without prescriptions, didn't speak to consultants, and failed to act on what monitors showed them. The NMC panel concluded that the death of Baby A on the Loveridge Ward at the PEH could have been prevented if adequate checks were carried out by Ms Granville following the death of Baby B two years previously. 

Since the death of both Baby A and Baby B, subsequent reviews of midwifery services have found a number of improvements have been made.