AN INDEPENDENT inquiry has been launched at the Royal Bolton Hospital after three women died following childbirth in just four months.

Hospital chiefs carried out their own investigations following the deaths and could find no evidence that the cases were anything more than a tragic coincidence.

But they have now commissioned an independent review into each case.

Last October, Chris Spragg lost his wife Joanne just hours after she gave birth to their first child, Ilaria.

She was one of two mums-to-be to die at the hospital that month.

Mrs Spragg had begun bleeding internally and went into shock just minutes after the delivery, suffering a heart attack before surgeons could operate to find the cause.

It was later found that she had a pre-existing weakness in an artery which could not have been detected.

Ilaria was taken to the baby unit and Mr Spragg was told that she had been starved of oxygen at birth and could have suffered brain damage.

Despite his grief, Mr Spragg believes everything possible was done to try to save his wife.

The most recent deaths were that of Claire Hindmarsh, aged 32, and her baby Kimberley, who died earlier this month.

Claire, from Breightmet, and her boyfriend Terry Moore thought everything was going well with the pregnancy until January 10 when she was 36 weeks pregnant and began feeling unwell.

She was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital with high blood pressure and lost consciousness.

Her daughter was delivered stillborn by Caesarian section that evening and, despite surgery to try to ease pressure from bleeding in her brain, Claire died the next day when her life support machine was switched off.

Mr Moore, aged 44, was devastated by the loss of his wife and daughter, but says he does not blame staff at the hospital, describing what happened as 'a tragic accident'.

Staff at the Royal Bolton's Princess Anne's maternity unit have been left devastated by the deaths and management have organised counselling for those who need it.

Maternity unit chiefs have also contacted the families of those who have lost loved ones to keep them updated on the investigations. They say the relatives have remained supportive of the hospital.

Gail Naylor, head of midwifery at the hospital, said: "It's extremely unusual to have three maternal deaths so close together, but especially so at the Royal Bolton.

"We have commissioned the external review so we can be absolutely sure we have done everything we can.

"Our hearts go out to these families who have been grieving at a time which should have been full of joy.

"The families are being very supportive because we have been so open with them. We have been sharing all our findings and will continue to do so.

"It has had a big impact on staff. We have been holding de-briefing sessions and they have been offered counselling."

The external investigation, which will examine the last six months and look at the safety of babies as well as mothers, will be carried out by a review panel made up of a senior obstetrician, anaesthetist and midwife consultant from outside the hospital.

It is expected their findings will be reported to the hospital trust board at the end of February.

The Royal Bolton Hospital has the second busiest maternity unit in Greater Manchester, and 4,324 babies were born there last year.

Between 2000 and 2004, just one woman died after giving birth.

As recently as December last year, assessors from the NHS Litigation Authority published a report praising the unit for minimising risk for women and babies.

The hospital is hoping to become one of three super-centres for maternity, neonatal and children's services in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak in Derbyshire. The Bolton Evening News has launched its Back The Baby Unit campaign in support of the hospital's campaign.

Bosses are confident the tragic deaths will not affect its bid.

Mrs Naylor said: "The Royal Bolton Hospital's maternity unit has earned its good reputation from the quality of care it has given to tens of thousands of women and their babies over the years.

"I think its reputation is not tarnished in the current consultation because of these tragic and coincidental deaths. If anything, women should be reassured that such events are very rare here and that is why we are taking the issue so seriously."