THE start of the independent inquiry into baby deaths at the Wyre Forest Birthing Centre has been announced by the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority.

The inquiry was requested by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust following two pre-natal incidents when babies died at the midwife-led unit at Kidderminster Hospital last August.

Health chiefs suspended deliveries at the centre following the incidents and pending the results of an inquiry.

MP Dr Richard Taylor said he was "very disappointed" it had taken so long to set up the inquiry, which is expected to last four months.

It was originally hoped the inquiry would have been completed by the end of 2003.

Dr Taylor said: "By the time we get the results it will have been at least nine months and, during this time, Kidderminster is without the birthing centre.".

The SHA, which described the inquiry as "wide ranging", has appointed Peter Garland to chair the independent panel. Until he retired in 2003, he was the Department of Health's director of health and social care for the North of England.

The three other panel members are Tony Mander, consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology for Oldham NHS Trust; Suzanne Cunningham, consultant midwife at Southampton; and lay member Jacqueline Sweeney.

Dr Taylor said he would be writing to the chairman to urge him to compile his report as quickly as possible.

He will also be urging the probe to address what he saw as several crucial questions surrounding the deaths.

He said: "I want to know if the guidelines for admission to the unit were correct and were these protocols obeyed absolutely."

He added rules on admission were important because it was accepted midwife-led units only dealt with healthy mothers, expected to have trouble-free births. This was because obstetricians and anaesthetists were not on hand.

Also important to this point, said Dr Taylor, was how the unit had been affected by the closure of Kidderminster Hospital's accident and emergency unit.

Before the closure, emergency caesareans could occasionally be performed in Kidderminster.

He said: "Did the admission guidelines reflect the fact there was no longer the gynaecological, obstetric and anaesthetic cover necessary to perform caesareans?"

There had been six baby deaths dating back to 2001 at the unit. The inquiry was ordered by acute trust chief executive John Rostill following the two August incidents.

Dr Taylor said he wanted to ensure the latest two deaths were not looked at in isolation.

The SHA, however, has stated the terms of reference of the inquiry will encompass "all incidents and 'near misses' within the unit since its inception in 2000".

Dr Taylor said: "We have got to accept the panel have no local axe to grind and are, therefore, independent."

He added he hoped the financial implications of keeping the centre open in spite of its distance from the nearest emergency obstetric cover would not be a consideration of the inquiry.

If a local emergency centre in Kidderminster was needed to provide back-up, then it should be provided, he said.

He added a parliamentary select committee report had come out firmly in favour of midwife-led centres as an example of best practice.