'Turf war' led to deaths of mothers and babies
Families who lost mothers and babies at a maternity unit where doctors and midwives were engaged in a "turf war" are bracing themselves for a damning report.
The independent inquiry into a string of failures at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is expected to expose how sub-standard care and lost medical records were covered up by health watchdogs.
Dr Bill Kirkup has been asked to examine dozens of cases between 2004 and 2012 where mothers and babies died during or just after delivery, or where babies were born with severe disabilities.
The report was expected last summer but its publication has had to be delayed twice.
James Titcombe, whose son Joshua died in 2008 after staff at Furness General Hospital failed to treat him for a straightforward infection, says its been a long wait for the truth.
For a year the coroner refused to investigate Joshua's death and despite his family's efforts none of the health regulators - set up to protect patients failed by the NHS - would investigate what happened.
Mr Titcombe told ITV News "The parliamentary ombudsman said because his medical records were missing and staff had already been interviewed, an investigation wouldn't be worthwhile.
"All the organisations that could have made a difference didn't and that's the shocking thing.
"Nobody actually did what was needed, which was to say 'We've got a serious problem here', or took the actions needed to keep mothers and babies safe. That's what we've got to make sure never happens again".
An internal review at the Trust identified in 2010 that there were "dysfunctional relationships" between members of staff at the unit.
But an inspection by the Care Quality Commission in the same year concluded the maternity service was safe.
It appeared inspectors had failed to read the findings.
Another inquiry into the Trust subsequently alleged the CQC then tried to suppress its own report into how it had failed to protect patients.
James Titcombe, who spearheaded the campaign for an independent inquiry, believes although the NHS has become more transparent, cover-ups remain too common.
He said: " I see so many other stories of people who have been failed by the NHS then being failed again because instead of being helped to come to terms with what's happened they face this defensive system - this culture that acts to cover up".
Timeline of events at the Trust
In March 2010 an internal review found concerns about the maternity unit including a "dysfunctional relationship" between staff
The Care Quality Commission did not read the report, instead passing the maternity unit as "safe" later that year
By 2011 the trust had the highest mortality rate in the country
Over 100 staff were interviewed about 200 deaths between 2004 and 2013
In 2014 a separate investigation accused the CQCs former senior officials of collusion in trying to suppress an internal report which exposed their failure to act on concerns about the trust
Officials have denied the allegations
Dr Kirkup will release his 200 page report tomorrow. It could prompt a review into all NHS maternity services in England.