Seven-day-old Poppy Hope Lomas died after complications during a home birth that, according to her mother, was encouraged by midwives at Barnet hospital. An inquest into her death concluded that she probably died from a lack of oxygen reaching her brain in the 30 minutes before she was born.
The senior coroner Andrew Walker said the Royal Free London NHS foundation trust had agreed to support Poppy’s mother, Gemma Lomas, with an “unsafe home delivery that was against medical advice” and had failed to address “an accumulation of risk factors”.
After the inquest, Lomas said: “Nothing will ever bring her back, but hearing the truth today acknowledged means everything to us. We trusted the professionals who were guiding us.” She previously told the inquest that midwives had actively encouraged her to have a vaginal birth at home despite risks because she had given birth to her first daughter by caesarean section in 2018.
Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says vaginal births after caesarean (VBACs) should take place in a “suitably staffed and equipped delivery suite” with resources for immediate caesarean. The coroner also flagged concerns about the use of the expression “out of guidance” instead of “against medical advice”.
A Royal Free London NHS foundation trust spokesperson offered “heartfelt condolences” and said they had introduced measures to improve care, including better communication and ensuring midwives were aware of guidance on transferring mothers to hospital.
