A senior doctor has warned the police investigating the deaths of two mothers and five babies at a maternity unit in Cumbria, of midwives and managers not only ignoring instructions , but also telling doctors ‘not to interfere’ in births.

The claims have been made by Prabas Misra, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Furness General in Cumbria, in a damning letter to hospital heads following the asphyxiation of Baby Alex Brady at birth amidst claims of midwives’ delayed delivery.

In his letter, written six months after Baby Alex’s death and during which period six deaths had already taken place at the unit, Dr. Misra wrote, a natural, normal childbirth was preferable, but not at any cost, with midwives seeming to reject the doctors’ advice.

Dr. Misra’s statement has been taken by the police.

After a coroner leveled the accusation of collusion amongst the midwives to hide crucial errors that possibly led to the death of Joshua Titcombe just 9 days old, the inquiry that has been launched is being handled by as many as
15 detectives.

A 7th death in April 2011 of Kelly Hine’s bay after scans failed to show the baby was experiencing difficulties during labour, is also being investigated by the police.

Investigations by The Daily newspaper reveals the shockingly callous attitude of midwives in the unit, several of whom were seen giving high fives, laughing and joking around, after giving their evidence at the inquest into the deaths of Nittaya Hendrickson and Baby Chester.

A source at the hospital also informs of overhearing two staff members discussing the missing medical records of Joshua.

The attitude of the hospital staff has been described by a visiting lecturer as that in a zoo, and he also said he did not wish to ever visit the hospital again.

Monitor, the body responsible for regulating hospitals and foundations has put the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust that runs the hospital on ‘red alert’.