Stafford Hospital baby twins’ death sparks new inquiry

The newborn twins who died were named today as Alfie Shaun and Harry Stuart McQuillan.

In a statement released by Staffordshire Police, parents Phillip McQuillin and Ami Dean said: “We are deeply upset by the deaths of Alfie and Harry.”

It continued: “We would ask the media to respect our privacy as we try to come to terms with what has happened.”

A Staffordshire Police spokesman has said the twins were born prematurely. He added: “Preliminary results suggest that the twins died because of their prematurity rather than as a direct result of any medical treatment.”

Maggie Oldham, chief operating officer of Mid Staffordshire Foundation NHS Trust, said: “Our deepest sympathy and our thoughts continue to be with the twins’ parents and their loved ones at this most difficult time.

Our deepest sympathy and our thoughts continue to be with the twins’ parents and their loved ones. Maggie Oldham, Mid Staffs Foundation NHS Trust

“We have commissioned a full external investigation and this will be led by an independent paediatric doctor.”

The twins died on 1 November at the University of North Staffordshire. They were transferred there from the Stafford Hospital, where they were born, in an effort to save their lives.

An inquest into the twins’ deaths was opened and adjourned by south Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh on Monday.

A question of trust
As the third major inquiry opens into what happened at Stafford Hospital, Who Knows Who describes how events at the Mid Staffordshire trust touched even those at the top of the NHS.

Read Mid Staffordshire health scandal: a question of trust

“We are all absolutely devastated that the twins have passed away,” said Anthony Sumara, chief executive for the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

“We have commissioned a full external investigation being led by an independent paediatric doctor.

“At present we have suspended one member of staff.”

We are all absolutely devastated that the twins have passed away. Anthony Sumara, Mid Staffordshire Foundation NHS Trust

Stafford Hospital, which is part of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, has been heavily criticised for its high mortality rates and poor standards of care.

The trust has been the subject of three major inquiries. The first, by the Healthcare Commission, concluded in March 2009 that there may have been up 1,200 more deaths than normal at Stafford Hospital since 2005.

The second report, published in February of this year and chaired by Robert Francis QC, detailed a catalogue of failings at the trust and oncluded that the trust routinely neglected patients.

8 November a public inquiry, also chaired by Robert Francis, opened to investigate the commissioning, supervisory and regulatory bodies responsible for the trust.