The death of the four-month-old grandson of football manager Steve Bruce is a “tragic reminder” of the “urgent need to protect the title of nurse”, experts have said.
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 found unresponsive by his father, ex-Leeds United and Fulham striker Matt Smith, on the morning of 18 October 2024.
The infant could not be resuscitated at the family home in Trafford and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mr Smith and his wife, Bruce’s daughter Amy, had employed a maternity nurse through a company named Ruthie Maternity Services after their son had difficulties sleeping in the afternoons.
Madison’s father Matt Smith is a former Fulham and Leeds player. Credit: PA Images
The maternity nurse – who had no medical qualifications other than basic first aid – suggested Madison should be positioned to sleep on his front to help sleep, also known as the prone position.
This is despite advice that babies should always be placed on their back to sleep.
A post-mortem examination was unable to give a cause of death but it was identified that prone sleeping created an increased risk of his sudden unexpected death.
Former Manchester United player Bruce was managing Blackpool FC at the time of the incident.
In a message posted on the club’s official X account, he said: “It’s been the worst time of my family’s entire lives and is something no family should have to endure.”
The coroner in Stockport wrote a prevention of future deaths report. Credit: ITV News
Writing a prevention of future deaths report, Alison Mutch, Senior Coroner for Manchester South, said: “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 called on the Department of Health and Social Care to act, adding: “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 also urged officials to promote safe sleeping habits.
Commenting on the prevention of future deaths report, a Royal College of Nursing spokesperson said: “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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