up to 30 babies and mothers died at a scandal hit hospital because of failings by midwives and doctors, a damning report is expected to reveal the independent inquiry into baby deaths within university hospitals of morecambe bay nhs foundation trust will show that the scale of the scandal was much worse than previously feared it had been thought that 16 babies and two mothers had died as a result of shambolic care over nearly ten years at a maternity ward within furness general hospital in cumbria tragedy: joshua titcombe was nine days old when he died from an infection that should have been treated with antibiotics at furness general hospital, cumbria  but after highlighting concerns in around 50 cases, investigators are expected to conclude that neglect contributed to even more deaths health officials have tried to cover up their failure to properly investigate poor patient care on the unit despite multiple warnings about failings between 2001 and 2012, the care quality commission gave the hospital a clean bill of health in 2010 the failure to strike off any nurse, doctor or midwife working at the hospital has enraged victims’ families concerns were first raised in september 2008 when joshua titcombe, who was nine days old, died from an infection that should have been treated with antibiotics his father james said it was ‘appalling’ that nobody has been disciplined for the failings that led to the deaths and described the accountability process as ‘ridiculously slow’ up to 30 babies and mothers died at furness general hospital because of failings by midwives and doctors, a damning report is expected to reveal  mr titcombe said: ‘it’s been six years since joshua died and we have should been finding out about [the care failings] at the time it’s a sign of how closed and secretive the nhs was ‘we were faced with obstacle after obstacle which is an indictment of how the nhs was run at the time ‘what happened to protecting mothers and babies? the timescale is a disgrace’ he said there was no reason why culpable nurse and doctors could not have been held to account before the report was published a number of midwives from the hospital are due to face the nursing and midwifery council (nmc) later this year in relation to deaths at the hospital grief: james and hoa titcombe lost their baby son joshua in 2008  mr titcombe added: ‘for joshua to have died in 2008 and the nmc’s processes to still be ongoing is absolutely appalling how can that be protecting mothers and babies? ‘there has been a real failure in the way the professional regulators have worked’ the independent inquiry into the trust, expected to be published next month, was finally ordered by ministers due to mounting concerns over the deaths of at least eight mothers and babies while officials continued to cover up the extent of the hospital’s problems, a police investigation was eventually launched after repeated complaints from victims’ families the report is expected to lay some of the blame on the ‘dysfunctional’ relationship between midwives and doctors on the ward, according to the sunday times the widespread ‘loss’ of medical records that contained vital medical information, such as in the case of joshua titcombe, will also be highlighted an internal review published in march 2010 highlighted concerns about the maternity unit including the relations between staff the cqc, however, failed to read the report and passed the hospital as ‘safe’ a year later when a cqc official produced a dossier showing the inspection was flawed, bosses told him to destroy it to protect the commission’s reputation the extent to which officals have tried to deflect attention from the failing hospital has been branded ‘rotten’ by ministers and likened to the mid staffordshire trust cover up the cqc and the parliamentary and health service ombudsman are also thought to be in line for criticism in dr bill kirkup’s report it will raise more questions about how medical staff and those tasked with inspecting the quality of care provided are held to account a string of senior staff at the trust have ‘stepped down’ from their jobs with lucrative pay packets   but nobody has been sacked others linked to the alleged cover up have also left their roles, with families expected to continue with legal action against the trust following the report’s publication former chief executive of the morecambe bay trust, tony halsall, left in march with a £225,000 pay off and has since moved to the private sector jill finney, former deputy chief executive of the cqc, was awarded £60,000 for distress after she was accused covering up a cqc report she always denied the allegation the morecombe bay trust however has refused to say whether it has taken any action against any staff members or whether the nurses are still employed
joshua titcombe furness general hospital 2008 cumbria first
up to 30 babies and mothers died at furness general hospital  concerns first raised in 2008 when joshua titcombe died of infection  baby should have been treated with antibiotics at hospital in cumbria  new inquiry will conclude that neglect contributed to even more deaths 