Steve Bruce's grandson died after 'unsafe sleep position'
The four-month-old grandson of football manager Steve Bruce died after he was placed in an "unsafe sleeping position" on his front by an unregulated maternity nurse, an inquest heard. Madison Bruce Smith was found unresponsive by his father, ex-Leeds United striker Matt Smith, at their home in Trafford in 2024. Smith and his wife, Bruce's daughter Amy, had employed Eva Clements via Ruthie Maternity Services believing she was skilled, trained and vetted and the firm was well established.
Neither was regulated. In a narrative conclusion at Stockport Coroner's Court, the coroner said "his cause of death could not be ascertained" having been "placed in a prone and unsafe sleeping position". Senior coroner for south Manchester Alison Mutch issued a prevention of future deaths report to the Secretary of State for Health calling for regulation.
The inquest heard Clements was employed after Madison had suffered difficulties sleeping in the afternoons. Ruth Asare, head of Ruthie Maternity Services, said she had no medical qualifications and had only a first aid certificate and a Level 2 diploma in post-natal care gained from from a three-day course and a six-month coursework project. Clements said she had a degree in early years education but admitted she had no medical qualifications.
The inquest heard Madison's parents would "never have dreamed" of putting their son asleep in the prone position but for the advice of the maternity nurse who was said to have informed them all four of her own babies had slept on their stomachs with no problems. Such advice was contrary to recognised safe sleeping guidance from the NHS and health professionals for young babies. Senior coroner Mutch added the "purported expertise" of untrained people posed a risk to all children where those unregulated services were used.
She said: "I hope the services can be regulated and, going forward, parents are not left in a situation where they believe they are employing someone who is qualified to advise them when they are clearly unqualified. " She went on: "We have been told that in effect any of us could leave the building today and call ourselves a maternity nurse as while the term 'registered nurse' is strictly controlled, the term 'nurse' is not. "It gives an illusion of someone who is highly trained and able to support parents.