FAILURES at a maternity unit where at least 11 babies died were down to the scandal-hit Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and not individual midwives, a hearing was told. 

Lindsey Biggs and Holly Parkinson allegedly failed to notice that Joshua Titcome was seriously unwell at Furness General Hospital in Barrow. 

Joshua died from a lung haemorrhage nine days after being born at FGH in October 2008, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has heard. 

At least 11 babies died needlessly at the maternity unit at the hospital, which was slammed in reports as 'seriously dysfunctional.' 

Joshua developed pneumococcal septicaemia after a treatable infection that had been passed to him from his mum Hoa and was missed by midwives following the birth. 

Biggs and Parkinson failed to act on advice given to them by a paediatrician to carry out three hourly observations and did not refer the situation when his temperature dropped. 

Observation charts for Joshua, referred to as Baby A, and his care plan were lost by the hospital, the hearing was told. The ability of the NMC's expert witness Caroline Duncan to pass judgement on the midwives was also in question, the hearing was told. 

Charles Elton, representing Parkinson, said: "The conclusions of a wide spread audit on the issue is that there was more than one template used to record observations in the trust.

"The system in place was not fit for purpose which is why they were revamped as a consequence of the investigation, review and considerations that followed on from the incident involving Baby A."

He said Ms Duncan was not in a position to say if Parkinson's actions contributed to Joshua's death as she was not a paediatrician. 

Mr Elton said that if the panel did find there was a case to answer then it amounted to poor record keeping on one day and a failure to escalate a low temperature on one shift. 

Both midwives face NMC charges in the wake of the damning Kirkup Report, which identified a series of failings at Barrow's Furness General Hospital maternity unit. 

Biggs is charged with failing to ensure observations were carried out over three hours, not escalating Joshua's low temperature and not keeping adequate records of care for Joshua or Hoa Titcombe. She denies all charges. 

Parkinson is charged with not documenting a paediatrician's advice that Joshua be checked every three hours, not escalating his low temperature and not keeping adequate record of the care given to Joshua. She admits to not documenting the three hourly observations but denies all other charges. The hearing is due to conclude tomorrow (Thurs)