THE chief executive of the country's under fire nursing and midwifery regulator - which cleared two Barrow midwives of misconduct - has admitted improvements to her organisation's disciplinary process are needed.

Jackie Smith, the woman at the helm of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, issued the comment yesterday following stark criticism of the way Furness General Hospital midwives Gretta Dixon and Catherine McCullough were deemed fit to continue to practice. 

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The Professional Standards Agency revealed last week that the NMC had withheld evidence from the formal panel hearings of the pair who had been accused of failings in the way they cared for Dalton mum Hoa Titcombe in 2008.

Mrs Titcombe's son Joshua later died.

Ms Smith said: "We are completely committed to ensuring our fitness to practise procedures continue to be stringent and put patient safety first. "We have made considerable progress in recent years but we recognise that there is still more to do. 

"We take very seriously the treatment of witnesses and bereaved families and that is why we set up a dedicated witness liaison service which supports witnesses through what can sometimes be a stressful process."

The Professional Standards Agency deemed the process used to clear both Gretta Dixon and Catherine McCullough, who are still registered to care for women and their babies at FGH, had been 'deficient', though 'not wrong in law'.

It found evidence held by the NMC but not submitted to the disciplinary proceedings included a statement made by baby Joshua's parents, Hoa and James Titcombe, before he died, information obtained during an investigation into the death of the nine day old by Cumbria Constabulary and the conclusion of then coroner for south and east Cumbria, Ian Smith at his inquest.

The news was declared a 'lamentable failure' by patient safety expert and Morecambe Bay Investigation chief Dr Bill Kirkup as well as by the families who lost loved ones at Barrow's maternity unit over a nine year period. 

Jackie Smith added the NMC would now take steps to address all concerns raised over the case.

"We note that in this statement, the PSA say that they 'have found that the NMC’s investigation and its panel’s decisions were deficient but not insufficient in law'," she said.

"We look forward to receiving the details of the PSA’s concerns and will respond accordingly."