Tragedy of new mother who died of infection

Joanne Johnson, 27, was sent home from Rotherham District Hospital's post-natal ward in spite of complaining of abdominal pains a week after her son Harrison was born by caesarean, an inquest in the town heard.

Ms Johnson died six weeks later after infection in her abdominal surgical wounds spread to her lungs.

Ms Johnson, of Gilberthorpe Street, Rotherham, was referred to the hospital after she collapsed in her GP surgery complaining of flu-like symptoms.

She had given birth six days earlier by section because doctors thought Harrison's heart rate was too low for a natural birth.

Her family say she was sent home with a suppository to treat non-existent constipation.

They spoke out after a coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death at Rotherham Coroner's Court yesterday.

Following the two-day hearing they issued a statement saying: "As a family grieving, and with a new baby to care for, we needed to ask questions not just for us who loved her but we needed the answers to give to a little boy that one day would become a young man with a healthy curious mind and a need to know 'why did my mum die?'

"Three years later we now have the opportunity to ask those questions."

The statement added: "Joanne's mum, Barbara, had been a nurse in Rotherham for over 40 years and fought with all her medical knowledge for Joanne to receive the correct and proper medical treatment, but to no avail."

Ms Johnson spent several weeks in the hospital's intensive care unit before dying on January 14 2007, after contracting adult respiratory distress syndrome, the inquest was told.