Government to regulate nurse titles after baby death in Trafford
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged government action to regulate the use of the title 'nurse' following the death of Matt Smith's four-month-old son Madison Bruce Smith in Trafford. The baby was found unresponsive on October 18, 2024, after being placed in a prone sleeping position by an unqualified maternity nurse employed through Ruthie Maternity Services. Coroner Alison Mutch raised concerns that anyone can use the term 'nurse' without qualifications, and MP Connor Rand raised the case in Parliament on April 14, 2026. The Royal College of Nursing supported calls for government action, describing the death as a tragic reminder of the need to protect professional nursing titles.