Improvements made after baby's death at Chichester hospital

VALUABLE lessons must be learned following the death of a baby, an inquest concluded.

A hearing into the death of Leilani Chute on August 5, 2015 at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, concluded that she died of natural causes.

But it raised concern that her death could have been avoided had failure to progress earlier in labour been reported to the consultant.

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The inquest was told Leilani died very shortly after her delivery at the hospital.

Assistant coroner Bridget Dolan QC asked the trust to address two issues relating to a short delay before a caesarean was carried out on Leilani’s mother, Katherine Chute, from Portsmouth.

George Findlay, medical director at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘The trust fully investigated this tragic death, immediately informed the coroner and has taken action to try and make sure this could never happen again.

‘The coroner concluded that Leilani Chute died from natural causes, but did raise concern about a short delay before a caesarean section took place during which time it is believed problems with the baby’s umbilical cord caused an hypoxic brain injury. We are committed to addressing the matters raised by the coroner.’

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