NHS trust prosecuted over deaths of two children from sepsis at Essex hospital

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust faces three charges after Zadie Ajetunmobi, 3, and Selina Samarina, 2, died at Broomfield Hospital

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

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An NHS trust in Essex is being prosecuted by the Care Quality Commission over the deaths of two children who had sepsis, court documents have revealed. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust faces three charges, relating to three-year-old Zadie Ajetunmobi, who died in November 2022, and two-year-old Selina Samarina, who died in April 2024. The trust is due before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in December.

The prosecution, brought under the Health and Social Care Act, alleges that care and treatment was "not provided in a safe way" to the two girls at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

Two charges relate to Zadie Ajetunmobi, who was taken to hospital with a temperature of 40C (104F) on 10 November 2022. She died within 10 hours of arrival after suffering a cardiac arrest. A post-mortem examination showed her death arose from complications associated with sepsis. According to the BBC, she was not given a potentially life-saving dose of intravenous antibiotics for more than seven hours. Zadie's parents, Theo and Rhiannon, were previously told by the trust that staff had not updated local sepsis guidance since 2017. They described her as a "beautiful little girl" and said: "This is a tragedy from which we will never recover."

The third charge concerns Selina Samarina, who was taken to Broomfield on 7 April 2024 with symptoms of fever, a rash and irritability. She was discharged by a doctor but died two days later after her parents readmitted her. A coroner previously stated that the sepsis protocol was triggered on her initial arrival but a doctor of appropriate seniority was not available until two-and-a-half hours later. Assistant coroner Stephen Simblet KC noted during an inquest that Selina, who had Down's syndrome, was sent home by a "very junior doctor" in the meantime.

Adam Sewell-Jones, group chief executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are working closely with the CQC on its investigation. As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

The trust is expected to enter pleas to the three charges on 3 December.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The case raises serious concerns about patient safety and sepsis management at a major NHS trust, with failures spanning two separate incidents over 18 months.
It underscores the importance of timely antibiotic treatment and senior clinical review for children presenting with sepsis, a condition that kills thousands in the UK each year.
The prosecution could lead to fines, structural changes at the trust, and broader scrutiny of sepsis protocols across the NHS.

Background

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that requires urgent medical intervention. The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust runs Broomfield Hospital and several other sites. In 2024, a coroner found that sepsis errors caused a "preventable" death of a girl at the same trust, and Selina Samarina's death was also the subject of a separate inquest. The CQC prosecutions under the Health and Social Care Act are a rare step, reserved for cases where care failures are believed to be serious enough to warrant criminal proceedings.

Key Perspectives

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: The trust has said it is working closely with investigators but declined further comment due to the ongoing legal process. It has acknowledged the deaths and previously apologised to families. Families of the children: Zadie's parents have described her death as a tragedy from which they will never recover, and the families have sought accountability through inquests and now the criminal prosecution. Patient safety advocates: The case is likely to fuel calls for mandatory sepsis training and protocols in all emergency departments, and for ensuring that senior doctors are always available to assess high-risk paediatric patients.

What to Watch

The trust's pleas at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on 3 December.
Any subsequent findings from the CQC investigation and whether further charges or regulatory action follow.
Whether the case prompts national NHS policy changes on paediatric sepsis assessment and antibiotic administration.

Sources

NHS trust prosecuted over children's sepsis deaths · BBC News
NHS trust prosecuted over children's sepsis deaths · BBC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

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SupportedNHS trust prosecuted over deaths of two children from sepsis at Essex hospitalBBC News: “An NHS trust is being prosecuted over the deaths of two children who had sepsis... Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust... Broomfield Hospital”
SupportedMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust faces three charges after Zadie Ajetunmobi, 3, and Selina Samarina, 2, died at Broomfield HospitalBBC News: “Two charges relate to Zadie Ajetunmobi, three, who died within hours of being taken to Broomfield Hospital... A third regards two-year-old Selina Samarina”
SupportedThe prosecution, brought under the Health and Social Care Act, alleges that care and treatment was 'not provided in a safe way' to the two girls at Broomfield Hospital in ChelmsfordBBC News: “Care and treatment was allegedly 'not provided in a safe way' to the girls, court documents revealed. The prosecution is being brought by the Care Quality Commission under the Health and Social Care Act.”
SupportedZadie Ajetunmobi was taken to hospital with a temperature of 40C (104F) on 10 November 2022. She died within 10 hours of arrival after suffering a cardiac arrest.BBC News: “Zadie died within 10 hours of being taken to Broomfield on 10 November 2022, having suffered a cardiac arrest... with a temperature of 40C (104F)”
SupportedAccording to the BBC, she was not given a potentially life-saving dose of intravenous antibiotics for more than seven hours.BBC News: “She was not given a potentially life-saving dose of intravenous antibiotics for more than seven hours.”
SupportedZadie's parents, Theo and Rhiannon, were previously told by the trust that staff had not updated local sepsis guidance since 2017.BBC News: “Zadie's family were previously told by MSE that staff had not updated local sepsis guidance since 2017. Her parents, Theo and Rhiannon,”
SupportedThey described her as a 'beautiful little girl' and said: 'This is a tragedy from which we will never recover.'BBC News: “Her parents, Theo and Rhiannon, described her as a 'beautiful little girl' and added: 'This is a tragedy from which we will never recover.'”
SupportedSelina Samarina was taken to Broomfield on 7 April 2024 with symptoms of fever, a rash and irritability. She was discharged by a doctor but died two days later after her parents readmitted her.BBC News: “Selina Samarina was taken to Broomfield with symptoms of fever, a rash and irritability on 7 April 2024. She was discharged by a doctor but died there two days later, after her parents readmitted her.”
SupportedA coroner previously stated that the sepsis protocol was triggered on her initial arrival but a doctor of appropriate seniority was not available until two-and-a-half hours later.BBC News: “The sepsis protocol was triggered on Selina's initial arrival at hospital, however a coroner previously said a doctor of appropriate seniority was not available until two-and-a-half hours later.”
SupportedAssistant coroner Stephen Simblet KC noted during an inquest that Selina, who had Down's syndrome, was sent home by a 'very junior doctor' in the meantime.BBC News: “Selina, who had Down's syndrome, was sent home by a 'very junior doctor' in the meantime, assistant coroner Stephen Simblet KC said during an inquest into her death.”
SupportedAdam Sewell-Jones, group chief executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'We are working closely with the CQC on its investigation. As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.'BBC News: “Adam Sewell-Jones, group chief executive of MSE, said: 'We are working closely with the CQC on its investigation. As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.'”
SupportedThe trust is expected to enter pleas to the three charges on 3 December.BBC News: “MSE is expected to enter pleas to the three charges on 3 December.”