COUNTY Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Darlington Memorial Hospital, says that, since Joanne Hatton died, it has increased the intensive care bed capacity and reviewed the way specialist doctors interact with each other across departments.

It has also changed the way that mothers who suffer from haemorrhages after birth are managed.

The inquest heard that a catalogue of errors and bad communication between hospital staff led to the 38-yearold’s death, shortly after the birth of her twins.

Ten years ago, Darlington hospital had four intensive care beds, which also had to serve as high dependency beds.

But in January this year, the trust expanded the critical care unit with a total of 14 beds. In a crisis, they could be converted from a high dependency bed into an intensive care bed.

The first-floor unit, which the trust claims is among the most modern facilities in the region, is now located next to what was the original high dependency unit and close to operating theatres.

Before the changes, the small intensive care unit was on a different floor.

The new critical care unit is said to be much more userfriendly and includes a fullyintegrated monitoring system to provide clinical information at each bedside.

A new design means that support services are provided from the head of the bed, making it easier for staff to attend to the needs of patients.

In January, Dr Richard Hixson, a consultant anaesthetist, told The Northern Echo: “This is a modern intensive care unit, built to a high specification which helps us to give the best of care to our most dependent patients.”

Following an investigation into the events surrounding Mrs Hatton’s death, the trust asked Professor James Walker, chairman of obstetrics and gynaecology at Leeds University, to carry out a review of maternity services.