Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSE), which operates Broomfield Hospital in Essex, is being prosecuted over the deaths of two children who had sepsis. The Care Quality Commission is bringing three charges against the trust under the Health and Social Care Act.
Two charges relate to the death of three-year-old Zadie Ajetunmobi, who died in November 2022 within hours of being admitted to Broomfield Hospital with a high temperature. A post-mortem examination indicated her death resulted from complications linked to sepsis. She reportedly did not receive a dose of intravenous antibiotics for more than seven hours.
The third charge concerns two-year-old Selina Samarina, who was sent home from Broomfield Hospital in April 2024 by a doctor and died two days later. An inquest into her death heard that a doctor of appropriate seniority was not available for two-and-a-half hours after the sepsis protocol was triggered on her initial arrival.
MSE Group Chief Executive Adam Sewell-Jones stated that the trust is "working closely" with the CQC on its investigation. The trust is scheduled to appear before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in December, where it is expected to enter pleas to the three charges on 3 December.