Hospital care must improve

Sep 11 2011 Sunday Sun

A MATERNITY ward at the centre of a police investigation over a “number“ of baby deaths could be forced to close if it does not make “rapid“ improvements.

The probe follows the death of Joshua Titcombe nine days after his birth at Furness General Hospital in Cumbria in October 2008.

An inquest in June ruled the baby died of natural causes but that midwives had repeatedly missed opportunities to spot and treat a serious infection.

Cumbria Police yesterday said it was to widen the scope of its inquiry after the release of a damning report into the labour ward by the Care Quality Commission.

The CQC condemned University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust for its failure to improve standards.

Yesterday, Joshua’s father James Titcombe, 33, from Dalton, Cumbria, said: “We have not been able to grieve because we have had to fight for the truth. My life has stood still for three years.

“Every second of the day my mind has been on Joshua and seeing justice done for him, so it’s been very, very hard.”

Mr Titcombe said he could not comment on the police investigation but said that the findings of the CQC report meant that his family could finally start getting “some closure”.

He added: “Everyone has a right to expect that all reasonable steps are taken to safeguard mothers and babies. If that had happened at the time Joshua was born then he would still be alive. Failures like the ones identified at the inquest should not take two years to be sorted out.”

The trust was criticised by the CQC after inspectors carried out surprise inspections in June.

The report highlighted six areas of concern in care provision.