Lawyers representing the family of a baby who died less that 12 hours after being born at the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, have urged a coroner to consider a finding of neglect over the monitoring of her heartbeat during labour.Sophie Beesley, representing Poppy Mary Isabella Russell's parents, Katherine and Neil, from Rodington, asked Shropshire Coroner, John Ellery at her inquest to give a narrative conclusion.
At Wednesday's hearing in Shrewsbury he was told that the maternity unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford was particularly busy on the night that Poppy was born. "Staffing is now much better and we have two co-ordinators on a night shift. We also have more robust escalation methods to call in extra support. Midwives also have more empowerment to speak out and escalate matters."