Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has been fined £800,000 after admitting failings in the care of baby Wynter Andrews, who died just 23 minutes after her birth in 2019. The fine, the largest ever imposed on an NHS trust for maternity care, was handed down by Nottingham Magistrates' Court following a prosecution by the Care Quality Commission.
The court heard a 'catalogue of failings' left Wynter and her mother, Sarah Andrews, exposed to significant risk. Wynter died from hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, a loss of oxygen to the brain, which could have been prevented had staff delivered her earlier. The inquest in 2020 found that the maternity unit was busy, patient history was not properly handed over, and Ms Andrews was misdiagnosed as being in the latent phase of labour despite clear signs of established labour.
Missed opportunities included failing to move labour along, provide one-to-one care, or monitor the baby's wellbeing. A doctor failed to act on midwives' concerns about infection and a trace examination. When Wynter was delivered, her umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around her leg and neck. Resuscitation attempts were abandoned after 23 minutes, and she died in her parents' arms.
Coroner Laurinda Bower described the case as 'clear and obvious neglect', noting that systemic issues such as severe understaffing contributed. She revealed an anonymous letter from midwives dated ten months before Wynter's death had warned bosses about staffing levels potentially causing a 'disaster'. The trust pleaded guilty to two charges concerning failures in the care of both mother and baby.
District Judge Grace Leong acknowledged the fine would be paid from funding normally used for patient care. The trust's chief executive, Anthony May, apologised, saying: 'We let them down at what should have been a joyous time in their lives.' Wynter's parents said the fine demonstrated the seriousness of the failings, adding: 'No financial penalty will ever bring Wynter back.' The trust has since implemented changes to its maternity services, though its units remain rated inadequate since 2020.
