Jessica Palmer, 34, died of organ failure in June last year following the birth of her daughter Emily.

After being discharged from hospital, Mrs Palmer spent four days at home in south-west London in increasing pain, West London Coroner's Court heard.

Midwife Karen O'Connor said she should have referred her to a doctor when she found a red patch on her abdomen.

Doctors at Kingston Hospital in south-west London considered Mrs Palmer to be well enough to return home after giving birth despite an abnormal temperature, the court heard.

'Cardiac arrest'

But once home, she started shivering and went to bed with a temperature and over the next four days developed pains which made walking difficult.

Mrs Palmer spoke to Ms O'Connor and a GP but it was not until she went to her doctor's surgery on 29 June 2004 that the seriousness of the condition was realised.

She was rushed to hospital suffering septic shock but died from a cardiac arrest before surgeons could carry out an emergency hysterectomy.

Speaking in court, Ms O'Connor said she had been laughing and joking with Mrs Palmer three days after the birth.

"She just said she was very tired," she said.

But the court heard that the community midwife had been told by Mrs Palmer that she had a sore throat, high temperature and a red patch on her abdomen.

Deputy coroner Elizabeth Piggott asked: "Do you accept that you made a gross mistake?"

To which Ms O'Connor replied: "Yes." The inquest continues.