AN academic paper has been published on the lengthy delays encountered as Jodie Simpson's family fought for her right to die.

The essay, written by UK experts Professor Jenny Kitzinger and Professor Celia Kitzinger, highlights five key mistakes in the way those involved with Miss Simpson's case sought legal permission to withdraw her artificial feeding tube.

They found significant errors in the process - which could have taken as little as nine months - caused the Barrow mum of two to be kept alive in a vegetative state for four years.

In the paper published in the British Medical Journal, they also estimate the CCG's mishandling of Jodie's case eventually went on to cost around £270,000 in prolonged care on top of the legal costs incurred by the CCG.

Prof Jenny Kitzinger, a co-director of the Coma and Disorders of Consciousness Research Centre, stated in the paper that Jodie's family "became trapped in a maze of misinformation, mistakes and procrastination, leading to years of avoidable delay before treatment".

She said: "Jodie's family were clear she wouldn't have wanted further treatment but it still took such a long time - way beyond the normal period expected.

"It was a dreadful situation for Jodie and her family and it greatly added to the trauma of the accident that she had suffered."

It is the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups to apply to the High Court for a right to die order on behalf of patients in their area.

If successful, the order allows a person's artificial nutrition and hydration tube to be withdrawn, allowing them to die.

But in Jodie Simpson's case, medics initially informed her family an official diagnosis of permanent vegetative state could not be diagnosed until 12 months after her accident - when it was actually six months.

Then, they failed to make preparations for her diagnosis by booking the relevant tests, before what is described as 'inexplicable tardiness' in failing to obtain an independent diagnosis for two years.

There was a 13-month delay between a decision to make an application to the High Court and the CCG actually submitting the application form.

Finally, doubt was cast over the quality of Miss Simpson's diagnosis, leading to an adjournment of court proceedings while a second opinion was sought.