A hospital in the town of Hoorn has admitted responsibility for the death of a newborn baby in May. A spokeswoman for the Westfriesgasthuis hospital confirmed that the baby died after errors made by hospital staff. The hospital is not providing any details about the nature of the errors.

An independent investigation by the Utrecht University Medical Centre confirmed that a gynaecologist misdiagnosed the condition of the child's mother during pregnancy, and more mistakes were made at the delivery of the baby. The child was braindead when it was born and died soon after. A second independent investigation into the case has been opened by the government's Health Inspectorate.

The parents have taken the gynaecologist to court for the way the birth was handled. The midwife who was present at the delivery has been on sick leave since the incident, but the gynaecologist is still at work in the Westfriesgasthuis.

Meanwhile the death of a second baby in August has been reported, although no details have been given. The inspectorate is also investigating two other cases. The hospital says it has improved its procedures

Photo from Westfriesgasthuis.nl