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East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is on trial for the death of baby Harry Richford in 2017, says the Quality of Care Commission.
In a statement, the CQC said: “The trust is accused of exposing Harry Richford and his mother Sarah Richford to a significant risk of avoidable harm.
“Baby Harry tragically died on November 9, 2017, seven days after he was born on November 2.
Sarah and Tom Richford outside the Maidstone Coroner’s Court in January after the conclusion of the investigation into their son’s death.
“The CQC cannot comment further at this time due to legal restrictions.”
Harry Richford’s family appreciated the decision.
In a statement, they said: “We are pleased that the CQC has made the landmark decision in initiating criminal proceedings against the East Kent Hospitals Trust in relation to the unsafe care and treatment of Sarah and Harry Richford.
“Now the courts will have to hear all the evidence that CQC and our family have amassed over the past three years and decide whether the clinical care and treatment offered at that time could be considered safe.
“Or if there was a criminal breach of duty of care that was clearly owed to both Sarah and Harry at their most vulnerable.
The care of mothers and newborn babies at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has come under heavy criticism following a series of infant deaths.
There are believed to have been at least seven preventable baby deaths at the Trust since 2016.
Harry died a week after an emergency delivery at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in 2017.
An investigation into his death found it to be a “totally avoidable” tragedy.
Harry’s mother, Sarah Richford, had been taken to the theater for an emergency C-section on November 2.
The investigation heard that Harry should have been delivered in 30 minutes at 2 a.m.
She also discovered that an inexperienced physician was in charge of the delivery and that the support of a consultant had not been sought before.
