A PODIATRIST with no knowledge of maternity issues took just five days to turn down a request for the government's health watchdog to investigate a cluster of mother and baby deaths at FGH - having read no documents nor spoken to those with safety concerns.

Sarah Seaholme, the head of investigations for the newly formed Care Quality Commission, decided in 2009 that the deaths of five people at Barrow's hospital the previous year were not linked.

She reached the conclusion based only on a note giving a medical cause of death for each case, despite having no clinical training in the specialism herself at all.

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In interview transcripts released for the first time last week, she said: "On reflection, I really do feel that if I'd accepted the case there would have been more focus on the trust and that maternity.

"I'm really sorry I didn't make that decision at the time really."

The trust in charge of FGH was referred to the CQC's national investigations team by Julia Denham, the CQC's area manager for the North West, following concerns over the deaths during 2008.

They are believed to have included Dalton baby Joshua Titcombe, Walney newborn Alex Davey-Brady, Ulverston mum Nittaya Hendrickson and her baby son Chester, and new mum Carly Scott, from Barrow.

Ms Seaholme said she was also aware of concerns from the health regulator Monitor over 12 serious incidents within University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, as well as those of James Titcombe who had referred his son's tragic death to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

But former foot specialist Ms Seaholme refused to act upon the referral, stating the concerns did not meet the CQC's criteria for an investigation.

She admitted she had not read the trust's serious untoward incident reports or sought any clinical advice before reaching her conclusion.

She said: "I was just going on cause of death.

"I'm not a maternity expert," she added.

"Yes, so I do worry that maybe if my decision was different it could have changed things or made improvements happen quicker."

Dr Bill Kirkup, CBE, concluded last year that poor clinical skills and a 'lethal mix' of failings led to the deaths of 16 babies and three mothers at FGH between 2004 and 2013.

He made 44 recommendations for improvement within UHMBT and across the wider NHS in a bid to improve maternity standards nationwide.

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