Inquiry finds ‘lethal mix of failures’ led to Furness baby deaths

An investigation into Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust has ruled that the unnecessary deaths of 11 babies and one mother at Furness General Hospital came about from a ‘lethal mix’ of failures.

The investigation found 20 major failures in care from 2004 to 2013 at the hospital, calling the incidents “serious and shocking”.

The wider NHS was criticised by the investigation for the way the events at the hospital had been regulated and monitored.

The inquiry said that the problems represented a “simultaneous failure of a great many systems at almost every level, from labour ward to the headquarters of national bodies”.

Dr Bill Kirkup, a former senior Department of Health official, who led the investigation, found that care at the maternity unit had been provided by staff “deficient in skills and knowledge”, providing “substandard” care at a “dysfunctional” unit. He also found that doctors and midwives had extremely poor working relationships.

Although the failures started in 2004, it was only in 2011 that the issues at the hospital came to wider attention, despite a cluster of five major incidents in 2008.

The regional health authority, the CQC and the ombudsman had also not taken appropriate action on the information that they held. The trust gained foundation trust status in September 2010 and the regulators did not take the necessary action to fully investigate five major incidents prior to the application for foundation trust status.

Dr Kirkup said “This was a disturbing catalogue of missed opportunities.”

44 recommendations were made in his investigation, including:
• A national review to be undertaken on maternity care.
• The staff involved in the care during the period to be investigated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council.

Six midwives are due to stand before the Nursing and Midwifery Council later this year and a seventh is currently being investigated.

Chadwick Lawrence’s team of Medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex Medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record. The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of Medical negligence. He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in Medical negligence claims. Tony also acts as the Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled. Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk. Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist Medical negligence Legal Aid and no win-no fee solicitors for free legal advice on the freephone number below.

Freephone: 0800 028 2969

For further information, please see our cerebral palsy and birth injury website:
http://www.cerebralpalsyclaimssolicitors.co.uk

Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), Medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.