Staff Suspended From UK Hospital After Dummy Found TAPED To Baby’s Mouth

A member of staff has been suspended after it was revealed a dummy had been found taped to a baby's face at Stafford Hospital in the UK.

Police said it happened earlier this month and the baby was four months old at the time.

Colin Ovington from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said: "Fortunately, the baby was unharmed. We have a zero tolerance approach to poor patient care."

In a statement, Staffordshire Police said officers were investigating a complaint about a member of staff at the hospital and were liaising with both the baby's family and the NHS trust.

It said: "Officers from our Protecting Vulnerable People Department are at the very early stages of investigating a complaint concerning the treatment of a baby boy by a member of staff at Stafford Hospital earlier this month."

The pacifier was found taped across the child's mouth.

Mr Ovington, director of nursing and midwifery, said: "We cannot emphasise strongly enough that this incident is exceptional and apologise again to the family.

"We want other hospitals to learn from this so that we can be sure that it does not happen to any other baby."

A report following a public inquiry into "appalling standards" of care at the hospital is to be published next month.