New baby death review team named

A new investigation into the death of a baby boy following childbirth at Cavan General Hospital in November 2012 is due to get underway in the New Year, after a review team was put in place by the HSE earlier this month.
The appointment comes following the conclusion of an inquest into the death of baby Jamie Flynn, of Tara Court Square, Navan, who died in his mother Fiona Watters’ arms at the Rotunda Hospital on November 24, 2012. He had been born two days earlier at the consultant-lead unit in Cavan General Hospital suffering from a severe brain injury as a result of oxygen deprivation (for inquest report in this week's Celt).
The team is to include Dr Peter McKenna, clinical director, Rotunda Hospital; Prof Tom Matthews, Faculty of Paediatrics; Dawn Johnston, director of midwifery, Saolta Healthcare Group and Margaret McGarry, risk manager, National Incident Management Team.
The new review has been established after the findings contained in a previously published report into the death of baby Jamie were quashed by Justice Kevin Cross before the High Court earlier this year.

The order was given in response to an application by Dr Salah Abdel-Aziz Ahmed, consultant obstetrician at Cavan General, that a permanent injunction be placed restraining the publication of the first report, as well as any recommendations made by the team from the National Maternity Hospital.

The initial investigation into baby Jamie’s death at Cavan General took almost a year and a half to complete. In the meantime, the local hospital has been tasked with carrying out two further investigations into two more baby deaths following delivery at the maternity unit, which occurred within weeks of each other in April-May of this year.
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, who has previously criticised the delays in carrying out such investigations, has welcomed the appointment of the new review team. The party’s spokesperson on health told The Anglo-Celt that he trusts “they will do their utmost to ensure a thorough but also a speedy address of the issues involved”.
However, the local TD said he remains conscious of the impact such adverse situations have on the “excellent and dedicated” staff in the Maternity Unit at Cavan General Hospital.
“Full trust and confidence can only be guaranteed in the context of full disclosure and appropriate actions following,” stated Deputy Ó Caoláin.