Overview

• At Rochdale Coroner’s Court, community midwife Caroline Nixon testified that an 'out of guidance' referral to a senior midwife should have been made for Jennifer Cahill’s planned home birth.
• Nixon also acknowledged she should have re-referred Jennifer after the expectant mother declined Group B strep testing, another decision considered outside guidance.
• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has described the planned home birth as outside clinical guidance, while the family says terms like 'out of guidance' or 'against advice' were not used with them during pregnancy.
• A consultant had previously advised a hospital birth with active management, citing Jennifer’s first delivery in 2021 that involved a postpartum haemorrhage requiring transfusion and known Group B strep carriage after the first baby developed sepsis.
• Rob Cahill told the court he called 999 at about 6:45am on June 3, 2024, when baby Agnes was born unresponsive; Jennifer died the following day and Agnes died days later, with formal causes of death still pending as the inquest continues.