Children and baby services at two of Birmingham’s biggest hospitals suffer from staff shortages, severe overcrowding and wards “unfit for purpose”, a report has revealed.

The independent review of Heartlands and Sutton Coldfield’s Good Hope hospitals said children’s safety was being put at risk.

Paediatric experts Dr Martin Ward Platt and Alison Arnfield were drafted in to analyse Heart of England Foundation Trust, which runs both hospitals, after the unexpected deaths of three children, including 15-year-old Sian Jones, from Stirchley.

She died of multi-organ failure caused by peritonitis when medics at Heartlands failed to diagnose the condition in August 2007.

The review found Heartlands neonatal wards were “no longer fit for purpose”, that the capacity of neonatal and maternity services had been pushed to the limit and said more beds, high-dependency cots, nurses and consultants were needed.

The probe also criticised Good Hope’s children’s A&E service for only being open 12 hours a day because of staff shortages and said pregnant women were being transferred from Heartlands as far away as Nottingham to give birth because wards were full.

The problems were highlighted as Solihull’s maternity unit was downgraded to a midwifery-led unit, which will lead to even more births at Heartlands.

Investigators also raised concern over capacity problems with the rate of new-born babies in need of special care standing at 13 per cent – well above the national average of eight per cent.

Trust chief executive Dr Mark Goldman apologised to families who had not received the best care and said: “We are extremely sorry elements of our paediatric service did not meet the highest of standards.

“The trust is committed to finding and eradicating any outstanding problems.

“Some major changes were undertaken before the report was completed. We have and are continuing to re-evaluate the work against the report.

“I apologise to anyone who has not experienced the highest standards of care. The steps we are taking will ensure the service is much improved.”

Birmingham Children’s Hospital specialists have been drafted in to advise the trust.

Actions to address problems now include recruiting 15 more nurses and at least two extra consultants and integrating baby services so senior medics work across both Good Hope and Heartlands.

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust treats about 30,000 children a year from across north and east Birmingham and Solihull.

FINDINGS

- Good Hope’s A&E children’s area criticised for being open for only 12 hours a day due to inadequate staffing, being cramped and taken over by adults at busy times despite seeing 18,000 children a year.

- Safeguarding for children deemed a significant risk with “patchy” training.

- Major redesign needed for how children are cared for and the state of buildings at Heartlands Paediatric Assessment Unit and Good Hope’s Children’s Assessment Unit.

- Heartlands neonatal wards deemed “not fit for purpose” and need to expand intensive care and high dependency capacity with practices modernised.

- Little evidence of unification across Heartlands and Good Hope neonatal service.

- More consultants and nurses needed.

-Concerns over time to assess and treat children – some parents giving same history up to six times to people unable to deal with the problem. Unsafe as a child may deteriorate unobserved while waiting to see a doctor.

- Severe overcrowding at Heartlands neonatal unit, which is so small, it poses a risk to infants if an outbreak of influenza.

CHANGES TAKING PLACE

- 22 new medical posts being recruited including 15 more nurses, seven ward support staff and two extra consultants

- A new and expanded management team has been put in place including a Head of Children’s Nursing, new matron roles, clinical director for paediatrics and clinical lead for neonatal services. A nurse consultant for safeguarding children starts on August 1.

- Integrated ward rounds across Heartlands and Good Hope and consultant started visiting both site.

- A new Paediatric Assessment Unit will be built at Heartlands Hospital and open by October. Decisions on space issues at Good Hope will be decided in June.

- At least three extra high dependency cots at Heartlands.

- A new neonatal outreach service so babies can be sent home sooner.