Agency is criticised over its investigation into baby’s death from hypoxia

The coroner investigating the botched birth of a baby boy who died from hypoxia has strongly criticised the Healthcare Service Investigation Branch (HSIB) over its report on his death.

Karen Henderson, who conducted the inquest into the death of baby Theo Young in May 2018 at East Surrey Hospital said that the HSIB had asked Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust not to undertake its own investigation, “effectively preventing the recognition of causes of concern and therefore being unable to undertake any immediate and necessary remedial action at the earliest opportunity to prevent future deaths.”

HSIB told the trust that its investigation would take around six months, which was “highly likely to delay the …