Parents Who Lost Baby to Preventable Death Launch Initiative to Improve NHS Care

When Poppy Russell died just 12 hours after birth in April 2021, her parents, Neil and Katie Russell, were devastated. Their grief was compounded when the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust (SaTH) initially blamed Katie for her daughter's death, a claim later refuted by an inquest. The inquest concluded that Poppy's death was preventable and that she could have survived if born an hour earlier.

"The trust left us in an appalling position," said Neil Russell. "Not only were they found to have neglected our care, but in the months and years following, we uncovered that members of staff had tried to cover it up. Losing your daughter is one thing, but then to find that there was a cavalcade of lies was almost as bad."

Despite their trauma, the Russells are now collaborating with SaTH to implement a new care initiative called Poppy's Promise. The program is designed to reintroduce compassionate care into the National Health Service, focusing on four key principles: compassion, acknowledgement, respect, and empowerment.

"We could have very easily been consumed by hate and anger and rage at what happened – and those feelings are still there," Katie Russell stated. "But if no change comes from what happened to Poppy, then what's the point?"

During her pregnancy, Katie had expressed tokophobia, a fear of natural birth, and a desire for a caesarean section. She reported being repeatedly told she "couldn't just ask for a c-section." When she went into labor, she was induced, and later, while in the labor suite, she experienced inadequate monitoring. Signs of Poppy's distress were missed until an emergency caesarean became necessary. By that point, Poppy had developed a hypoxic brain injury, leading to her death later that day.

The inquest in 2023 found that care failings at SaTH had contributed to Poppy's death. The trust acknowledged its shortcomings and apologized for the care provided, promising improvements to maternity services.

Poppy's Promise aims to ensure patients are seen as individuals, not just as diagnoses. "It's seeing the person, not the diagnosis. It's someone coming into a room holding your hand, someone acknowledging the fact that this is difficult for you," Katie explained.

SaTH is rolling out Poppy's Promise to all 8,000 of its staff, embedding its principles into recruitment and training. Midwifery ward manager Tasha Simmons noted the importance of being fully present with women during their care, stating, "they are not on our journey." Emergency medicine consultant Dr. Adrian Walsh acknowledged the challenges faced by healthcare staff, including pressure and competing demands, which can lead to compassion fatigue. However, he also pointed to research suggesting that compassionate care can lead to better patient outcomes.

The Russells have also been approached by other NHS organizations and universities interested in incorporating Poppy's Promise into their programs, with the ultimate goal of embedding compassionate care throughout the health service.