The death of the four-month-old grandson of soccer supervisor Steve Bruce is a “tragic reminder” of the “urgent need to protect the title of nurse”, specialists have stated.
It comes after a coroner at Stockport Coroner’s Court criticised the “misleading” use of the title “maternity nurse” after the death of Madison Bruce Smith.
Madison was discovered unresponsive by his father, ex-Leeds United and Fulham striker Matt Smith, on the morning of 18 October 2024.
The toddler couldn’t be resuscitated on the household residence in Trafford and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, the place he was pronounced useless.
Mr Smith and his spouse, Bruce’s daughter Amy, had employed a maternity nurse by an organization named Ruthie Maternity Services after their son had difficulties sleeping within the afternoons.
The maternity nurse – who had no medical {qualifications} aside from fundamental first help – instructed Madison must be positioned to sleep on his entrance to assist sleep, often known as the susceptible place.
This is regardless of recommendation that infants ought to all the time be positioned on their again to sleep.
A autopsy examination was unable to present a trigger of death but it surely was recognized that susceptible sleeping created an elevated threat of his sudden surprising death.
Former Manchester United participant Bruce was managing Blackpool FC on the time of the incident.
In a message posted on the membership’s official X account, he stated: “It’s been the worst time of my family’s entire lives and is something no family should have to endure.”
Writing a prevention of future deaths report, Alison Mutch, Senior Coroner for Manchester South, stated: “Any person can describe themselves as a maternity nurse or a sleep nurse or a post-natal nurse.
“No qualifications are required and there is no regulation of persons holding themselves out as maternity nurses or the agencies that offer training courses or their services.
“In this case, the maternity nurse and the owner of the agency had no medical qualifications other than a basic first aid qualification.
“The use of the word nurse gave the impression of a level of knowledge and skills that were not present.”
She referred to as on the Department of Health and Social Care to behave, including: “Anyone, the inquest was told, can attach the term ‘nurse’ to a word such as night/maternity/post-natal.
“The inquest was told that only the term ‘registered nurse’ is protected and restricted in its use.
“An individual who has no medical training or formal early years training can offer their services to a family with young children describing themselves as, for example, a maternity nurse.
“This can, the inquest was told, give a misleading impression of their expertise and skill set to a family employing them.
“A statutory bar on the word nurse being used by anyone other than a registered nurse on the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) register would avoid this situation from arising.”
Ms Mutch additionally urged officers to advertise secure sleeping habits.
Commenting on the prevention of future deaths report, a Royal College of Nursing spokesperson stated: “This is the tragic reminder of the urgent need to protect the title of nurse.
“Patients and their families deserve to know that when they are being treated by a nurse they can trust the knowledge, professionalism and clinical expertise that brings.
“Nursing is a highly-skilled, safety-critical profession and we must now see urgent action from government to prevent those without the right qualifications from calling themselves a nurse.”
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