A MOTHER has won damages from Southend Hospital after they refused to resuscitate her premature baby.

Tracy Godwin, 34, was devastated as doctors left her son Tom to die in her arms after his condition deteriorated in March 2010.

Hospital staff ignored her pleas for help leaving Tom to fight for his life for 46 minutes following his premature birth at 22 weeks and two days.

After a four-year battle, Tracy has finally had her claim settled by the NHS hospital trust.

She became pregnant with her Tom, her first child, in November 2009, and at 22 weeks she experienced severe pain and was told she had gone into premature labour.

Tracy gave birth to him three days later and was told he was unlikely to survive.

Tom weighed just one pound and was having difficulty breathing, but with no consultant present staff denied him access to the baby care unit and informed Tracy that resuscitating him was against hospital policy.

Southend Hospital does not resuscitate babies born at 22-23 weeks, but is required to take note of a patient’s express wishes, a policy Tracy said she was not informed of.

She has since given birth to a daughter, Isla, who was born at 24 weeks.