A MOTHER whose baby died 70 minutes after birth has been told her baby could have survived, four years after the tragedy.

Chloe Turner, of Main Road, Dovercourt, had to have an emergency Caesarean at Colchester Hospital when a routine pregnancy suddenly turned to tragedy in April 2013.

Her daughter Lola-Rae was born extremely unwell and despite attempts to save her life she was pronounced dead just 70 minutes later.

An inquest in 2014 ruled Lola-Rae died of natural causes after she suffered impaired oxygen delivery during labour.

But Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust has now admitted that earlier intervention could have prevented the death and paid an undisclosed out-of-court settlement.

Prolonged use of drugs given to induce labour and meconium staining caused Lola respiratory distress.

And the trust has said if a caesarean section had have been carried out in the hour and 20 minutes after her heart rate first dropped Lola would have survived.

Chloe, 23, said: “Even if they hadn’t said it, in my eyes it was always there fault but the fact they admitted it gives some closure.

“I didn’t do it for the money, I wanted justice and I didn’t want it to happen to any other parent or child.

“Of the settlement money, for Lola’s life they paid £1,500 – I think it’s disgusting for a life.

“It was all down to them.

“People say time is a healer but I don’t buy into that, the more time that goes on I feel I’m missing her grow up.”

Chloe also has a 15-month-old daughter Maci and five-year-old daughter Ruby who she says are also missing out on knowing their sister.

"My oldest asks all the time where her sister is, it’s heartbreaking.”

Jerard Knott, associate solicitor at Curtis Law Solicitors said: “This is a tragic and entirely avoidable event.

“Proper monitoring, treatment and intervention would have meant that Lola would have been born healthy.

“For Chloe the impact is that save for some mementoes her other children will never have the sister they should have had.”

A spokesman for Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust said: “Following the inquest into the death of Lola-Rae, a claim for compensation was brought by Ms Turner.

“The Trust carried out further investigations and identified shortcomings in the care provided to Ms Turner during her labour and settled the compensation claim.

“We would like to express our sincere apologies for the shortcomings.

“We have learnt important lessons from the mistakes that were made and the trust has worked hard to continue to improve the quality of its services.

“We are pleased that a monetary settlement has now been agreed for Ms Turner and we wish her the very best for the future.”