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Healthcare regulator CQC 'may have covered up failings' Healthcare regulator CQC 'may have covered up failings'
(about 1 hour later)
England's healthcare regulator may have covered up knowledge of its own failings after a series of baby deaths at a Cumbria hospital, a report says.England's healthcare regulator may have covered up knowledge of its own failings after a series of baby deaths at a Cumbria hospital, a report says.
The review looked at the Care Quality Commission's response to complaints about several deaths at Furness General Hospital in Barrow.The review looked at the Care Quality Commission's response to complaints about several deaths at Furness General Hospital in Barrow.
It identifies a "dysfunctional working relationship" within the organisation. It identifies a "dysfunctional working relationship" between the regulator and other parts of the NHS.
The CQC admits giving "false assurances to the public" in 2010 but said there was no evidence of a cover-up. The CQC said it was "desperately sorry" for the failings.
The investigation was carried out by consultancy firm Grant Thornton on behalf of the CQC. Meanwhile, the father of a baby that died described the findings as "hard to believe".
In 2008, nine-day-old Joshua Titcombe died from a treatable infection after being born in the hospital's maternity ward.In 2008, nine-day-old Joshua Titcombe died from a treatable infection after being born in the hospital's maternity ward.
His death, and those of three other babies and two mothers, led to growing concerns about care standards and prompted a complaint to the CQC. His father, James, said: "The report lays bare a number of extremely serious failures [that are] quite hard to believe."
More than 30 families have taken legal action against Furness General Hospital relating to baby and maternal deaths and injuries. Joshua's death, which is now the subject of a police investigation, and those of three other babies and two mothers, led to growing concerns about care standards and prompted a complaint to the CQC.
A police investigation into the death of Joshua Titcombe at the hospital is continuing. In total, more than 30 families have taken legal action against Furness General Hospital relating to baby and maternal deaths and injuries.
The trust has said that, given the continuing investigation, it would be "inappropriate to comment on individual cases". 'Cover-up'
But it has said there was "no denying that the trust has let women and their families down in the past" and that a new trust board was "determined to learn from it". But despite the emerging problems, the CQC gave Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, which ran the hospital, a clean bill of health in 2010.
Report 'destroyed' A year later, with more concerns emerging, an internal review was ordered into how the problems had gone unnoticed.
An independent report due to be published later - but obtained by Radio 4's Today programme - shows the CQC not only failed to launch an investigation when it was first told about the deaths, but went on to register the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust as safe in 2010. But in March 2012 it was decided the findings should not be made public as the review was so critical of the CQC. The order is said to have come from an unnamed senior manager - something the individual denies.
The report also found evidence that an internal review by the regulator into what went wrong was destroyed at the request of a senior manager. The latest report - carried out by consultancy firm Grant Thornton on behalf of the CQC - said this "might well have constituted a deliberate cover-up".
The individual concerned denies that an instruction was given to delete the report. But it also acknowledged the CQC had been hampered because the trust and regional health bosses had failed to share information about the problems.
James Titcombe, the father of Joshua, said: "The report lays bare a number of extremely serious failures [that are] quite hard to believe." CQC chairman David Prior said the report was "shocking" and showed the regulator was "not fit for purpose".
The CQC admits it provided "false assurances to the public" in 2010 but it says there is no evidence of a systemic cover-up. "This is a shocking state of affairs. I am desperately sorry this has happened," he said.
It said in a statement the report revealed "just how poor" the CQC's oversight of the trust was. But he said publication "draws a line in the sand for us".
"This is not the way things should have happened. It is not the way things will happen in the future," it said.
CQC chairman David Prior said the report was "shocking" and showed the regulator was "not fit for purpose", but he said publication "draws a line in the sand for us".
"What happened in the past was wholly unacceptable," he said.
"The report confirms our view that at a senior level the organisation was dysfunctional. The board and the senior executive team have been radically changed.""The report confirms our view that at a senior level the organisation was dysfunctional. The board and the senior executive team have been radically changed."
The trust has said that, given the continuing investigation, it would be "inappropriate to comment on individual cases".
But it has said there is "no denying that the trust has let women and their families down in the past" and that the new trust board is "determined to learn from it".
The publication of Wednesday's report comes four months after a public inquiry into the failings at another hospital - Stafford - criticised the culture of the NHS as more concerned with protecting "corporate self-interest" than patient care.
'Heads must roll''Heads must roll'
Shadow health minister Jamie Reed called on ministers "to order an urgent investigation into the questions raised by this report".Shadow health minister Jamie Reed called on ministers "to order an urgent investigation into the questions raised by this report".
"It would be indefensible for the CQC, the regulator charged with keeping our hospitals safe, to attempt a cover-up designed to mask its own failings," he said."It would be indefensible for the CQC, the regulator charged with keeping our hospitals safe, to attempt a cover-up designed to mask its own failings," he said.
"My constituents who use this hospital deserve much better and the government needs to provide answers on every aspect of this serious allegation.""My constituents who use this hospital deserve much better and the government needs to provide answers on every aspect of this serious allegation."
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: "I have tried to support the families affected by this tragedy for years, but this report shows that collusion could have happened at the highest level - heads must roll for this."Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: "I have tried to support the families affected by this tragedy for years, but this report shows that collusion could have happened at the highest level - heads must roll for this."
Mr Farron has called for an urgent question to be tabled in the House of Commons.Mr Farron has called for an urgent question to be tabled in the House of Commons.
It is not the first time the regulator has come under fire since its creation in 2009.It is not the first time the regulator has come under fire since its creation in 2009.
Widespread concerns prompted ministers to scrutinise the CQC's performance and recommend a raft of changes including the creation of a new hospitals chief inspector post and a ratings system.Widespread concerns prompted ministers to scrutinise the CQC's performance and recommend a raft of changes including the creation of a new hospitals chief inspector post and a ratings system.
The CQC itself has made many changes, including appointing a new chief executive and chairman.
Commons Health Select Committee chairman Stephen Dorrell said the report made "extremely depressing reading", underlining the CQC's past failings.
But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the regulator was now on the right track following a clearout of senior managers.
"This is clearly a very sad tale of [the CQC's] failure to respond when evidence was produced of service failure, and then - having failed to react - of covering up the fact that they'd failed to react."
He added it was "unacceptable behaviour anywhere in the public sector but in particular in a regulator".
Action against Medical Accidents chief executive Peter Walsh said the report was "a vindication of what local people affected by failings by the trust and by regulators have been saying".Action against Medical Accidents chief executive Peter Walsh said the report was "a vindication of what local people affected by failings by the trust and by regulators have been saying".
"It underlines the need for a fully independent and wide-ranging inquiry into how, even in the aftermath of Mid Staffordshire, the regulatory system utterly failed to protect patients and sought to cover up," he added."It underlines the need for a fully independent and wide-ranging inquiry into how, even in the aftermath of Mid Staffordshire, the regulatory system utterly failed to protect patients and sought to cover up," he added.
"It is vital that the new leaders of the CQC ensure it is a robust, proactive and honest regulator.""It is vital that the new leaders of the CQC ensure it is a robust, proactive and honest regulator."
The CQC was created following the abolition of three specific bodies covering health, mental health and social care.