ERRORS were made processing the blood samples of a new mum shortly before she collapsed and later died, an inquest has heard.

Amy Kimmance, 39, died two days after giving birth at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester on December 21, 2007.

The inquest today(Wednesday) heard that Mrs Kimmance, of Milnthorpe Lane, Winchester, was re-admitted to the hospital on December 22 after complaining of abdominal pain.

Doctors took blood samples from her shortly before 1pm but despite being sent away for analysis they were never received by the hospital's laboratory.

Matthew Dryden, consultant microbiologist, said: "My understanding was that the sample never appeared and got lost."

A second sample was taken a couple of hours before Mrs Kimmance collapsed, around 4pm. She died the next day following multi-organ failure as a result of a Group A streptococcal infection.

Philip Havers QC, for the Kimmance family, asked whether it was hospital policy for the laboratory to phone abnormal test results directly to doctors on the wards.

Dr Dryden said it was but that a "human error" had meant the policy was not followed in this instance.

He added: "In this case the result was available but it required someone to get into the computer system to get it, rather than be telephoned."

Dr Kirsty Brookes, who sent off both blood samples for analysis, told the inquest she did not chase the laboratory for the results of the second batch.

She said: "At that time Amy was not presenting to me as a patient that I needed to prioritise in terms of blood results."

Earlier Dr Dryden had absolved the Royal Hampshire County Hospital of being the source of the infections that caused the death of both Mrs Kimmance and a second mum, Jasmine Pickett, 29. Both had given birth at the Romsey Road hospital on December 21.

Dr Dryden told the inquest that the hospital's maternity unit and 250 of its staff were tested for the Group A streptococcal infection. Only three staff members, plus another mum, had the infection, and none were involved in the delivery of either of the babies.

He said: "It was a community-acquired infection that happened to occur in the circumstances of a maternity unit."

The inquests into the death of Mrs Kimmance and Mrs Pickett - who both died after developing complications from a Group A streptococcal infection - are expected to be concluded on Friday (May 22).