Security alert over hospitals' 'ineffective' baby protection

LACK OF DRILLS AND SOME STAFF UNABLE TO SAY WHAT THEY WOULD DO IN ABDUCTION

- By JOEL MOORE

Karen Humphries with baby daughter Abbie who was abducted by a woman posing as a nurse at the Queen's Medical centre in 1994

(PA)

SECURITY measures designed to prevent the abduction of babies are "not effective" at Nottingham hospitals, a health watchdog says.

A “lack of security for newborns” was among the issues discovered in an inspection of the maternity services at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital by the Care and Quality Commission (CQC) in May.

Inspectors found a lack of drills and inconsistency in the use of security tags, with some staff unable to explain what they would do in the event of an abduction, according to a report published yesterday.

There were not enough medical staff with the right qualifications, skills and experience to keep women and babies safe, which needed to be “addressed urgently'” said the CQC.

However, the regulator praised staff for being “kind and compassionate” and noted leaders were committed to making improvements.

Cases of baby abduction are extremely rare in the UK, with only a handful of cases reported in recent decades.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), which runs the hospitals, said it had taken action on the concerns since the inspection, including a review of security policies.

Its rating remains “requires improvement”.