The way maternity services are going, another Morecambe Bay is inevitable

Five years after the inquiry into this scandal, in which my baby died, the recommendations it made still haven't been implemented, writes James Titcombe

Charity threatening to sue NHS bosses for blocking vital maternity report (Getty)

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of the Morecambe Bay Investigation, chaired by Dr Bill Kirkup. The report exposed a “lethal mix of failures” in the care of mothers and babies at Furness General Hospital between 2004 and 2012. My son Joshua was one of 11 babies whose deaths Dr Kirkup found to have been avoidable.

The report made 26 recommendations and triggered a major review of maternity services across England. The government subsequently announced a national ambition to reduce avoidable harm in maternity services by 50% by 2025. Today, over 20 national initiatives are underway, including the independent investigation of many of the most serious events by a new body, the Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch.

Despite this progress, the vast majority of Kirkup’s national recommendations have still not been implemented half a decade later. Worse still, there is clear evidence of serious safety problems in other maternity services.