HOSPITAL bosses have made "significant progress" in implementing changes demanded by an inquiry into baby deaths at Kidderminster Hospital.

They were praised for working towards the 27 action points outlined in last year's damning report, which said failings in the standards of care at the hospital's Wyre Forest Birth Centre might have contributed to deaths.

There had been a "significant shift" in the management and work culture that had been strongly criticised in the inquiry, one health official commented this week.

Marie Eastwood, who sits on West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority, a body that manages the hospital trust which looks after the birth centre, said, however: "All of those staff are extremely regretful for what happened and nothing can bring those babies back to life."

The report said Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust had "almost completed the process of developing the recommended policies and guidelines" throughout its hospitals in Worcestershire.

Staff were receiving more regular appraisals, were clear about "lines of accountability" which had been called "blurred" by the inquiry and had a better level of communication with senior managers.

The inquiry had found the centre "lacked leadership" and relationships between the centre and the trust were "poor".

The interim report, carried out by an SHA monitoring group, found there were "clear systems in place for the reporting and investigation of untoward incidents" throughout the trust.

Six babies died between the opening of the centre in 2000 and September, 2003, when it was closed for deliveries.

Work still needed to be done, the report said.

There was "no evidence" that midwives rotated their duties between hospitals such as Worcestershire Royal Hospital, as recommended by the inquiry.

Efforts to involve patients in developing guidelines were "limited and needed further development" it said.

The birth centre is still closed for deliveries but a process had been developed to determine if it should reopen in any capacity. This is expected to begin at the end of this month and will be carried out by Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust.

"Patients and members of the public will be involved from the outset," the report said.