NMC response to Ombudsman report into Morecambe Bay

Responding to the report into the deaths of a mother and babies at University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, NMC Chief Executive and Registrar Jackie Smith said:

“The concerns relating to the tragic events at Morecambe Bay hospital have been widely reported and we are acting on them. We have already committed to a review of midwifery regulation in the light of the findings made by the Ombudsman at the end of last year. We remain committed to the safety of mothers and babies as our key purpose is to protect the public. 

“We have suspended one midwife pending a fitness to practise investigation and a number of other individuals are under investigation which may lead to further fitness to practise action.”

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Notes for editors

1.   We are the nursing and midwifery regulator for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Islands. We exist to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. We set standards of education, training, conduct and performance for nurses and midwives, and hold the register of those who have qualified and meet those standards. We provide guidance to help nurses and midwives keep their skills and knowledge up to date and uphold our professional standards. We have clear and transparent processes to investigate and deal with nurses and midwives who fall short of our standards.

2.   For media enquiries, please contact the media team at media@nmc-uk.org or on 020 7681 5649.