Madison Bruce-Smith was found unresponsive by his father on the morning of 18 October 2024 and could not be resuscitated, being pronounced dead at Wythenshawe Hospital. The woman caring for him, Eva Clements, had no official medical qualifications. Madison died after being put to bed on his stomach at night by Clements, who claimed to be a maternity nurse.
Madison's parents had employed Clements through the company Ruthie Maternity Services. Ruth Asare, head of Ruthie Maternity Services, reportedly had no medical qualifications other than a first aid certificate and a Level 2 diploma in post-natal care. The parents expressed concern about Madison being on his front, but Clements advised them to leave him, according to major media sources.
During night care, Clements observed Madison on a baby monitor when he woke up but did not enter his room. She also used apps and TikTok on her phone while caring for Madison, according to major media accounts.
Senior coroner for south Manchester Alison Mutch issued a prevention of future deaths report calling for regulation of maternity nurse services. It remains unknown what specific actions the government will take in response to the coroner's call or whether criminal charges will be filed against Clements or Ruthie Maternity Services.
In a separate case, an eight-week-old baby boy died after being given an antihistamine by a nanny who probably wanted to sedate him, according to major media reports. The coroner found failures by the Metropolitan Police in investigating the baby's death, including not searching bathroom cabinets for medication or seizing feeding bottles. The nanny who administered the antihistamine is still working as a nanny, though her identity and current employment status are not publicly known.
Another case involved Poppy Hope Lomas, who died on October 26 2022 following complications during a high-risk home birth, according to major media sources. Midwife Sasha Field said an ambulance should have been called almost an hour-and-a-half before Poppy's birth. The outcome of the inquest into Poppy's death and any regulatory actions against the midwives involved have not been disclosed.
In a nursery case, Noah Sibanda died after an incident at Fairytales Day Nursery on 9 December 2022. Nursery worker Kimberley Cookson pleaded guilty to gross negligence manslaughter for placing Noah face-down on a soft cushion and restraining him with her leg. Fairytales Day Nursery Limited admitted to corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence. The sentence for Cookson and penalties for the nursery have yet to be determined.