Dewsbury Hospital: ‘Serious concerns’ raised since 2024 over hospital’s ability to care for critically ill children

The Yorkshire Post has seen evidence of major concerns being raised with the hospital since February 2024, with a senior health professional at the hospital now telling this newspaper that in their opinion, little has been done to rectify the issues since this time.

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, which runs Dewsbury and District Hospital, said it was currently reviewing its clinical models across the Trust, adding that it had recently agreed funding for over a dozen more staff.

It comes after a coroner’s report released late last year criticised the hospital’s processes following the death of 19-month old Raisa Cristina Iordan in 2023. The report also stated that "very little has changed in the context of patient safety” over two years.

The report said that changes to the hospital’s processes would not have prevented the child’s death due to the seriousness of her illness, but added that the Coroner had identified “a significant risk that future deaths will occur unless steps are taken to improve services”.

Concerns raised by clinicians include the availability of qualified staff at the site to take care of critically ill children, particularly during out-of-hours times.

Staff member claims service is “unsafe”

A senior health professional at Dewsbury Hospital, who asked not to be named, told The Yorkshire Post that they believe little has changed at the hospital since the issues were first raised in 2024.

They added that in addition to the children’s unit, they believe the out-of-hours service for critically ill adults is also “unsafe”.

They said: "It's in a situation where everybody knows that it's unsafe. The current service for critically ill children and adults at Dewsbury hospital, particularly out-of-hours, is unsafe and wouldn't meet accepted standards, both in terms of structure and process, particularly with regards to staffing.

“And it's inevitable that in that situation you’re going to get poor patient outcomes, including fatalities, unnecessarily.”

Mark Freeman, deputy chief medical officer at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, told The Yorkshire Post: “Our models of care are such that any very poorly child, who comes to Dewsbury Hospital by ambulance, is taken to our Pinderfields site.

“If a very poorly child was brought to Dewsbury Hospital, they would be stabilised and a clinical judgement would be made as to whether they should be taken by ambulance to Pinderfields, or another nearby hospital, where appropriate specialist paediatric beds are available.

“Providing safe, quality care and reducing incidents of harm for all of our patients is a priority for the Trust. Since these concerns were raised we have held detailed conversations with clinical teams regarding emergency care at Dewsbury Hospital.”

The Trust said that new funding had been agreed in February to cover 11 full time and two part time staff, with recruitment already underway for some roles. It said the new staff would induce middle grade paediatric doctors, paediatric nurses and consultant anaesthetists.

Concerns raised in 2024

A letter sent to the Trust’s chief medical officer in February 2024 raised major concerns around the care of critically ill children.

The letter was sent by the Yorkshire & Humber Paediatric Critical Care Operational Delivery Network, a group designed to coordinate patient pathways between providers of care for critically unwell children.

Sent in February 2024, the letter said: “Concerns have been escalated to us via Embrace, Yorkshire & Humber Infant and Children's Transport Service, and from clinicians at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals, about risks to patient safety and potential for harm resulting from inadequate levels of clinical staffing in relation to the management of critically ill children at Dewsbury and District Hospital.

“In summary, we currently have serious concerns about the provision of care at Dewsbury and District Hospital relating to resuscitation and stabilisation of critically ill children. This presents a risk to children's safety and potential harm due to the lack of clinical support.

“Therefore, the advice of the Yorkshire & Humber Paediatric Critical Care Operational Delivery Network, supported by Embrace, would be that at present paediatric patients should not be managed at Dewsbury.”

Embrace is a specialist transport service for critically ill infants and children in Yorkshire.

In a response to the letter, sent in March, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust said that work had already occurred to reduce the risk of sick children presenting at the hospital, adding that it aspired for services at the site to be increased. The Trust also argued that the site only takes very selective cases by ambulance.

In a further letter sent to the Trust in July, the delivery network said that the response had “not addressed specific concerns” raised in the initial letter.

A group of staff members at the hospital also issued a letter to the senior management in late 2024 describing the Trust's response as “inadequate”. Staff members said that the delivery network had recommended that “any remotely sick child be transferred immediately to a suitable centre”, adding: “we are puzzled that this option has not be [sic] actioned.”

Review launched

The Trust told The Yorkshire Post that it had recently launched a review of its clinical models.

Mark Freeman, deputy chief medical officer at the Trust, said: “Our teams are committed to providing the best care they can.

"We have recently begun a review of the clinical models we currently have in place to provide care for our patients.

“This review considers all three of our sites – Wakefield (Pinderfields), Pontefract and Dewsbury – and our services in the community. It is designed to address some of the challenges we face, looking at how we can deliver sustainable services for all our patients over the next decade.”

Trust responds to Coroners report

In response to the Coroner’s report issued following the death of 19-month old Raisa Cristina Iordan, the Trust said: “The Trust is deeply sorry for the tragic death of Raisa and our thoughts remain with her family. We recognise the issues raised by the coroner and are reflecting carefully on them. Learning events were held following Raisa’s death to understand where improvements to care were needed, and this work has already led to progress being made.”

In 2016, a demonstration was held at Dewsbury Hospital following changes to its services, with campaigners warning of potential impacts to patient safety.