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Professional bodies review conduct of registrants

Morecambe Bay Investigation · Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation · Issued 3 March 2015 · Addressed to: GMC

Government responseDepartment of Health and Social Care: Accepted (Jul 2015)

DeliveryDHSC and NHS England say completed (Feb 2026)DHSC states no delivery position (May 2024)Department of Health and Social Care says completed (Mar 2020)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

In light of the evidence we have heard during the Investigation, we consider that the professional regulatory bodies should review the findings of this Report in detail with a view to investigating further the conduct of registrants involved in the care of patients during the time period of this Investigation. Action: the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Morecambe Bay Investigation, Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation · 3 Mar 2015 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England reported in February 2026 that the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council had completed their investigations into the conduct of the registrants involved (DHSC and NHS England, Feb 2026). Earlier, the Thirlwall Inquiry legal team found in May 2024 that the recommendation had been clearly implemented, pointing to the regulators' review of the investigation findings and commitment to take appropriate action (The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team, May 2024).

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.

Government response

●Department of Health and Social Care · Accepted · 16 Jul 2015

Words of: Department of Health, Learning not blaming (Cm 9113), government response to the Morecambe Bay Investigation and two other reports, July 2015

5. We accept this recommendation. Action is under way. 6. The General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council have emphasised that they have reviewed the findings of the Morecambe Bay Investigation Report and are acting on relevant recommendations. They have both met with Dr Kirkup to discuss his findings. The Department understands these organisations have paid particular attention to findings concerning the professional conduct of registrants involved in the care of patients at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, so that they can take appropriate action against anyone who they suspect has broken their professional code.

Response document: Learning not blaming: The government response to the Freedom to Speak Up consultation, the Public Administration Select Committee report 'Investigating Clinical Incidents in the NHS', and the Morecambe Bay Investigation

Site note: This is the Department of Health's response, "Learning not blaming" (Cm 9113, July 2015), to the Morecambe Bay Investigation and two other reports. The department has been the Department of Health and Social Care since January 2018, and the rows are filed under that name. Every word is the department's, including where it reports what another body has done or will do.

Site note: The recommendation is addressed to the General Medical Council; the passage is the Department of Health's account, not that body's.

Delivery

●DHSC and NHS England say completed · 27 Feb 2026

The Thirlwall Inquiry has noted action taken in response to this recommendation.

The General Medical Council (GMC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) investigated the conduct of the registrants involved. These investigations have been completed.

In May 2018, at the request of both DHSC and the NMC, the Professional Standards Authority published a ‘Lessons Learned Review’ into the NMC’s handling of concerns against midwives working at Furness General Hospital.

From: The Thirlwall Inquiry: Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version dated April 2025)

Site note: DHSC and NHS England's own account of progress, supplied to the Thirlwall Inquiry in September 2024 and printed in the Inquiry legal team's Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version dated April 2025, published 27 February 2026). It is not a finding of the Inquiry. Their reviewed extent of implementation reads “Implemented – Closed”. Table row: section 23.2 No. 19, PDF page 642.

●DHSC states no delivery position · 15 May 2024

In May 2018, at the request of both DHSC and the NMC, the Professional Standards Authority published a ‘Lessons Learned Review’ into the handling of concerns relating to the handling of the Morecambe Bay fitness to practise cases. https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/docs/default-source/publications/nmc-lessons-learned-review-may-2018.pdf

From: The Thirlwall Inquiry: Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024), The Department of Health and Social Care

Site note: DHSC's own comments on progress, supplied to the Thirlwall Inquiry in February 2024 and printed in the Inquiry legal team's Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024). They are not a finding of the Inquiry. Table row: section 20.2 No. 19, PDF page 601.

●Department of Health and Social Care says completed · 2 Mar 2020

The Morecambe Bay Investigation recommended that healthcare professionals who had provided care that fell short of the expected standards should be held to account. As a result, the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) investigated the conduct of the registrants involved. These investigations have been completed.

In May 2018, at the request of both the Department and the NMC, the Professional Standards Authority published a ‘Lessons Learned Review’ into the handling of concerns relating to the handling of the Morecambe Bay fitness to practise cases.

From: Health Professions: Regulation (written question UIN 21209)

Site note: Written answer of 2 March 2020 by Nadine Dorries for the Department of Health and Social Care. The question cites the Morecambe Bay Investigation report and asks what has been done on this recommendation. The recommendation is addressed to the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council; this is the Department's answer, not theirs.

What other bodies have found

In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.

●Thirlwall Inquiry legal team · 15 May 2024

Department of Health response (July 2015):

“We accept this recommendation. … The General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council have emphasised that they have reviewed the findings of the Morecambe Bay Investigation Report and are acting on relevant recommendations … can take appropriate action against anyone who they suspect has broken their professional code” (p. 66)

From: The Thirlwall Inquiry: Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024)

Site note: The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team's own notes on implementation, from its Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024). The review colours its Extent of Implementation cell for this recommendation green, which it uses to mark evidence, identified by the legal team, that a recommendation has been clearly implemented. Table row: section 20.2 No. 19, PDF page 601.

How this page is built

The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.