A REVIEW ordered by the Department of Health is to consider a seven-year delay between the death of a baby and the start of an investigation into failings in his care.

Newborn Joshua Titcombe died nine days after his birth at Barrow's Furness General Hospital in November 2008.

Last year, FGH midwife Lindsey Biggs, from Dalton, was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council over the poor care she provided to baby Joshua immediately after his birth.

RELATED ARTICLE: Father hits out at regulator which failed to discipline 'deplorable' midwife for seven years

Prior to the hearing, Ms Biggs was sacked by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust after she was deemed to have provided substandard care to baby Poppy Rushton, who died five days after her birth at FGH in March last year.

Now, the way the NMC handled the tragic case is set to be considered as part of a wider review by the Professional Standards Agency - the body that oversees health regulators in the UK.

The review, to be spearheaded by Mark Stobbs, PSA director of scrutiny and quality, will also consider issues of public protection.

The scope of the inquiry was revealed within the terms of reference - published for the first time on Monday.

They state the outcome of fitness to practice hearings held to assess the actions of "musketeer midwives" involved in failings at Barrow's maternity unit from 2008 onwards will not be overturned as part of the review.

But the way in which the NMC went about its investigations and the way they communicated with families will be considered - alongside its approach to releasing information through the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

All families involved are now to be contacted in writing to confirm the reviews terms of reference.

A notice from the PSA states: "The review will not look at the substance of the NMC’s decisions or its panels’ decisions on the facts of individual cases and whether to proceed with them.

"It will look particularly at matters of patient protection, the NMC’s communications with families, including the NMC’s handling of recent subject access and freedom of information requests."

The Morecambe Bay Investigation, published in March 2015, concluded 11 babies and one mother died as a direct result of poor care during or after childbirth at Barrow's hospital.

No fitness to practice hearings were held for seven years.

The NMC was last year found to have monitored Joshua Titcombe's grieving father James, 39, before it went on to spend £240,000 on lawyers it had tasked with redacting information it held on him.

READ MORE: Struck off midwife to face questions over baby death

READ MORE: £240,000 paid by regulator to hide information on bereaved father

READ MORE: Nursing regulator to be investigated over handling of Barrow baby deaths cases

READ MORE: Nursing regulator keeps review of its own behaviour during baby hospital deaths tragedy secret