NHS trust prosecuted over children’s sepsis deaths

An NHS trust is facing prosecution over the deaths of two young children who contracted sepsis at Broomfield Hospital in Essex, in a case that has reignited scrutiny of patient safety across England’s healthcare system. The charges, brought by the Care Quality Commission under the Health and Social Care Act, allege that care and treatment were not provided in a safe way to the girls.

The cases

Three-year-old Zadie Ajetunmobi died within hours of being taken to Broomfield Hospital in November 2022, after suffering a cardiac arrest linked to sepsis complications. A post-mortem confirmed her death arose from sepsis, and records show she was not given a potentially life-saving dose of intravenous antibiotics for more than seven hours. In a separate case, two-year-old Selina Samarina was sent home by a doctor at the same hospital in April 2024, only to die two days later.

Legal action

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Broomfield Hospital, is due before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court in December. The trust said it is working closely with investigators, and a spokesperson expressed condolences to both families. The prosecution is being brought by the Care Quality Commission, which has the power to bring criminal charges against healthcare providers for safety breaches.

Why it matters

Sepsis kills more people in the UK each year than bowel cancer, and delays inRecognising and treating the condition remain a persistent problem in the NHS. These prosecutions would be among the first of their kind brought by the CQC against an NHS trust for patient deaths, potentially setting a precedent for how seriously failures in care are penalised. For families affected, the case represents a long fight for accountability after losing children to a condition where timely intervention can be the difference between life and death.

What happens next

The court hearing in December will determine whether the trust proceeds to trial. If convicted, the trust could face significant financial penalties and be placed under special measures by the NHS. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government has been pressed by opposition parties to launch a wider inquiry into sepsis detection across the NHS, though no such review has been announced officially.