TWO midwives working at a Barrow hospital failed in their care of a newborn baby, denying him the opportunity to be seen by a doctor before he died, it has been ruled.

Neither Lindsey Biggs nor Holly Parkinson referred matters to a paediatrician as they should have done when they found Joshua Titcombe had a low temperature while he was being cared for in the town's Furness General Hospital.

The infant was born in the Dalton Lane maternity unit on October 27, 2008 but died nine days later after suffering pneumococcal septicaemia and a lung haemorrhage.

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The case at a hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council in London was told their failures had caused Joshua - referred to as Baby A- to lose a significant chance of survival.

Panel chairman Stuart Gray said both women had been "guarded" in giving their evidence and at times appeared to have "distanced" and "detached" themselves from the events of the day.

He told Ms Biggs: "You were the midwife responsible for the care of baby A shortly before his collapse."

But rather than going to a doctor, he said: "You took matters into your own hands and placed baby A into a warming cot."

Ms Biggs, the panel concluded, failed to make sure three-hourly observations were conducted on the newborn, failed to get a paediatrician when she saw he had a low temperature and failed to properly record notes on his mother Hoa Titcombe, who was also being cared for at the hospital.

Ms Parkinson also failed to get a doctor when she recorded Joshua's low temperature.

She had already admitted failing to document the paediatrician's advice that observations should be carried out.

Their failures "denied baby A any opportunity to be seen, assessed and treated by a paediatrician", Mr Gray said.

He added: "This was the significant chance for baby A that was lost."

Joshua's mother and her husband James, from Dalton, have both claimed they repeatedly told hospital staff she felt unwell the day before giving birth and was concerned about catching an infection from her young daughter who had been sent home ill from nursery.

An inquest in 2011, held at Barrow Town Hall, heard midwives repeatedly missed chances to spot and treat the serious infection which led to Joshua's death.