Doctors and nurses failed to identify baby's cleft palate

What happened

For the first six weeks of his life, R was unsettled and had a cough and problems with feeding. A doctor and a midwife checked R immediately after his birth. A GP and a nurse practitioner checked him later, and health visitors saw him at home.

When he was six weeks old, clinicians found that R had a cleft soft palate. Since then he has had successful surgery, but his mother has said she faced financial costs because she bought numerous unsuitable bottles and teats. She was also affected emotionally and physically by the time spent trying to feed him.

What we found

Doctors and nurses at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust did not assess R's mouth adequately. The failings by four different clinicians amounted to service failure.

There were no failings on the part of the health visitors, who were provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Miss T suffered unnecessary expense and distress as a result of what happened.

Putting it right

The Hospital Trust acknowledged and apologised for its failings and paid Miss T £500 in compensation. It prepared an action plan to make sure that it learnt from the complaint.

There were no failings on the part of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.