A doctor and the head of a hospital trust stood in a court dock today following the death of a young primary school teacher after giving birth in 2012.

Dr Errol Cornish, 67, of Holmbury Park, Bromley, is charged with gross negligence manslaughter, while the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is due to answer a charge of corporate manslaughter.

The hospital doctor and Glenn Douglas, chief executive of the NHS Trust, both appeared in the dock at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court for a short hearing.

Dr Cornish spoke only to confirm his name, age and address. The case has now been adjourned and will next be heard at Maidstone Crown Court on May 22. He remains on bail.

The trust is the first in the country to be charged with the offence since a change in the law in 2007.

They relate to the death of 30-year-old Frances Cappuccini, from West Malling, who died after giving birth by emergency Caesarean at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury in October 2012.

A second doctor, Dr Nadeem Azeez, 52, formerly of Chestnut Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, has also been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and has left the country.

The court heard he is seriously ill in Pakistan. Magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest during the short hearing and confirmed the charge against him.

The case was formally noted by another NHS trust, the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group on Tuesday at its board meeting.

Chief officer Ian Ayres said the CCG had been handed a serious incident investigation relating to the case, but it was on hold pending both the court proceedings and an inquest.

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