A HEARTBROKEN mother was forced to wage a four-year battle for her daughter's right to die following a series of scandalous mistakes and blunders by Cumbria's health bosses.

Pensioner Jean Simpson, from Barrow, was devastated to have to come to terms with the news that 38-year-old Jodie had been left in a permanent vegetative state following an accidental overdose in 2012.

But she had no idea of the fight that lay ahead of her and her family as they sought dignity in dying for the formerly fun-loving mum of two.

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Today, Mrs Simpson describes the torment Jodie endured at the hands of a system she claims lets society's most vulnerable people down.

In carefully catalogued documents and letters, determined Mrs Simpson uncovered a series of delays, hold ups and failures by health commissioners in the county who mishandled Jodie's case - forcing her to live for years in a state her family say would have been intolerable to her.

"It would never have been what Jodie wanted, living like that," Mrs Simpson said.

"It was so cruel. No-one should have to go through what she did for so long when it would have been totally against her wishes.

"She was badly let down."

Jodie Simpson suffered bouts of depression throughout her adult life - though she continued to hold down a full time job at an opticians while raising her two children.

In summer 2012, she was looking forward to a family holiday she had booked for later in the year.

But while on a drinking binge during a low period, Jodie took some diabetic medication without realising the harm it would cause to someone without the condition.

Her brother Michael Devlin, who works at BAE Systems, raised the alarm after finding her unconscious.

Tragically, she had suffered a permanent brain injury from which there was no hope of recovery, rehabilitation or return.

After ten weeks at Furness General Hospital, she was transferred to Abbey Meadow Nursing Home, in Flass Lane.

Mrs Simpson, a former community nurse of 30 years, visited her daughter everyday - talking to her, keeping her company - but watching in agony as Jodie suffered constant seizures and was unable to eat or drink.

But while her family believed an application to the High Court to allow Jodie to finally be at peace was ongoing - Cumbria's Clinical Commissioning Group failed to make any progress at all for more than 12 months.

It left Mrs Simpson in a situation unimaginable for any parent - fighting for Jodie's right to be allowed to die.

"I had to switch between mum and nurse," she said, speaking from her home in Abbots Vale.

"Being in a vegetative state is not peaceful. It's anything but.

"I witnessed facial expressions that showed pain, anguish, despair and there were brief moments when I thought she may have had some awareness which is awful to think about.

"We just thought the CCG were getting on with the application to the court. We had no idea nothing was happening for all that time."

Jodie's case was prolonged even further when Cumbria CCG failed to prepare her application to the court properly.

While it was possible for Jodie to have been diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state just six months after her accident, the process took two years.

Then, the CCG turned down an offer of a second opinion, despite being warned the move would help ensure the court application would be successful.

Once her case came before Mr Justice Hayden, the UK's foremost right to die judge, in March 2016, questions were raised about Jodie's original diagnosis, prompting further delays.

It meant she continued to be kept alive with artificial nutrition and hydration despite the view of her family, the judge and medical experts that it was not in her best interests.

Finally, permission was granted for Jodie's feeding tube to be withdrawn, allowing her to die in June last year, aged 42.

The mistakes and delays have now been judged to be so severe, her case is now being considered by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

A traumatised Mrs Simpson, who is now attempting to seek justice for Jodie by highlighting the shortcomings in the way her case was handled, said the last four years had changed her forever.

"I know I will never truly feel happy again," she said.

"If we hadn't fought for Jodie, she'd still be lying in the home now."

A spokesman for Cumbria CCG declined to provide a statement addressing the substantial and unnecessary delays in Jodie's case which resulted in her suffering for four years.

Instead they said: "NHS Cumbria CCG has apologised to Jodie Simpson's family for the delays in her case.

"We have carried out an extensive review and reassured them that there is a commitment to learn from Jodie's case.

"The CCG funded and commissioned Jodie's case and had a co-ordinating role, with numerous other organisations including multiple NHS trusts, GP surgeries, as well as nursing homes.

"Unfortunately it was a slow and highly complex process to co-ordinate input from many organisations."

In the Evening Mail tomorrow: Read Jean Simpson's account of intimidation at the hands of top medics as she fought for her daughter's right to die.

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