Investigation launched after jaundice missed in mixed race baby at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and mum told 'it's his skin colouring'

The baby boy was admitted to Nightingale Ward, a paediatric unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, on July 14, with symptoms of jaundice.

Jaundice is a symptom of an underlying condition or health concern that involves the liver and it occurs when the liver cannot keep up with the demand to process waste in the blood or when the liver becomes damaged.

Babies in the UK are checked for jaundice within 72 hours of being born during the newborn physical examination. The symptoms include yellowing of skin or the whites of eyes.

The investigation has been launched by Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust as a baby was admitted for jaundice treatment after the maternity ward failed to complete tests due to ‘skin colouring’.

But when asked if the baby boy admitted to Nightingale Ward on July 14, was checked for jaundice, a midwife at the Royal Hospital explained the tests had not been completed.

Reportedly no healthcare professional at the ward had mentioned the baby looking jaundiced and when the mum, who is from a mixed ethnic background, asked about it she was told 'it's his skin colouring' not jaundice.

In Chesterfield Royal Hospital board meeting notes the case was named as a ‘potential missed opportunity to diagnose jaundice’. The documents have also revealed that a review is taking place, with the community manager speaking to all the staff who visited this mother.

When contacted by the Derbyshire Times, a Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust spokesperson said: “We take such matters very seriously. Our priority is to ensure quality care for all our patients. This is an ongoing investigation following discussions with the family and colleagues. We are open and transparent and any learning which is recommended following investigations will be acted upon.”

Current health scores used by the NHS for newborns were devised in the 1950s for white, European babies, with experts worried it could be missing signs of illness in infants of ethnic minority groups.

The NHS Race and Health Observatory has published a review carried out alongside researchers at Sheffield Hallam University questioning the relevance of the test and even give misleading results for non-white babies - potentially missing signs of illness and risking their health.