NHS trust prosecuted over deaths of two young children from sepsis after they were sent home from hospital
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is facing a criminal prosecution over the deaths of two young children from sepsis after they were sent home from Broomfield Hospital. The case matters because inquests found missed warning signs and failures to follow sepsis procedures may have contributed to both deaths.
The Care Quality Commission has brought three charges under the Social Care Act, two relating to Zadie Ajetunmobi, who died aged three in November 2022, and one relating to Selina Samarina, who died aged two in April 2024. An inquest found Zadie’s death could have been prevented if national guidance had been followed; Selina’s inquest cited hospital demand and care by a junior doctor. The trust is expected to enter pleas at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 3 December.
- NHS trust faces three charges over two children’s deaths.
- Both children were sent home from Broomfield Hospital.
- Inquests identified failures in sepsis care.
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Sepsis is a serious reaction to an infection that can cause organs to stop working and can become life-threatening quickly. Early signs may be hard to distinguish from other illnesses, so NHS guidance sets out when staff should assess someone for sepsis and arrange urgent treatment.
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust runs Broomfield Hospital, where Zadie Ajetunmobi and Selina Samarina were treated before they died. Inquests examined the care each child received and identified concerns about warning signs and the use of sepsis procedures.
The Care Quality Commission regulates health and social care services in England and can bring prosecutions when providers are suspected of breaching their legal duties. The case concerns whether the trust met those duties, and may inform scrutiny of how hospitals assess and respond to possible sepsis in children.
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The case for
A prosecution can provide public accountability where inquests have identified missed warning signs and failures to follow safety procedures in children’s deaths. It may also clarify whether the trust breached its legal duties and encourage stronger systems for recognising and treating sepsis, helping protect future patients.
The case against
The trust is entitled to have the charges tested in court, and the inquest findings alone do not determine criminal liability. A prosecution should establish responsibility based on the evidence and the law, while recognising that care decisions were made amid pressures on the hospital and may involve individual and systemic factors.