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Poppy Russell lived for just 12 hours. She died in April 2021 at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford after suffering a brain injury during birth. An inquest concluded that her death was preventable.

Her parents, Neil and Katie Russell, then faced another ordeal: the hospital trust blamed Katie, alleging she had refused fetal monitoring. That allegation was found to be untrue.

Rather than walking away, Neil and Katie are now working with the hospital to improve care. Their initiative, Poppy's Promise, is built around four principles: compassion, acknowledgment, respect and empowerment. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is introducing it across approximately 8,000 staff members.

Their work comes at a critical time. In June, Baroness Valerie Amos published the final report of the national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England. Across the 12 trusts examined, women described being dismissed, excluded from decisions and left without answers when things went wrong.

A national action plan is expected in December. Poppy's Promise offers a practical response to a question facing the NHS: How can listening become a routine part of care?

During pregnancy, Katie told midwives she had a fear of childbirth and wanted a cesarean section. According to her account, she was repeatedly told she could not simply request one.

During labor, she described being left without care for long periods, with inadequate monitoring and missed signs that Poppy was in distress.

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