Farron: inspectors overlooked hospital trust failings

South Lakes MP, Tim Farron, has received information that the Care Quality Commission (CQC), one of the regulators looking into the recent failings at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, may have overlooked many serious risks within the hospital trust, less than a year before the trust reached crisis point.

Tim has discovered that in June 2010 almost 2 years after the tragic death of nine day old Joshua Titcombe at Furness General Hospital, the CQC found the hospital's maternity ward to be fully satisfactory in their inspection.

However, just 18 months later in December 2011, a diagnostic review of the hospital by independent regulator, Monitor, which was sparked by the results of the inquest into Joshua Titcombe's death, found 119 risks within the hospital of which 66 were described a red, highlighting a serious failure.

This has raised serious concerns over the model for inspection that is being used by the CQC, as several people have expressed the view that it is incredibly unlikely that these risks were not present in the June 2010 inspection.

Commenting Tim said: "This is extremely concerning news and raises a whole new question as to whether we should be investigating the regulators who have the oversight for ensuring patient safety at the Trust.

"It is not credible to think that these risks and red lines which were uncovered in December 2011 were not there just 18 months earlier, especially considering the crisis at Furness General's maternity unit goes all the way back to 2008 and possibly even earlier.

"I will now be seeking reassurances from both the Health Secretary and the CQC that the failings in the model for inspection are being reviewed and corrected in order to prevent further disasters like the crisis at the Morecambe Bay Hospital Trust."