THE inquest into the deaths of two women who died shortly after giving birth at a Hampshire maternity unit will be held next February.

Jasmine Pickett and Amy Kimmance died of a bug within days of being patients at the Florence Portal House at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, in December 2007.

The inquest, due to last three to four days, has been set for February 23.

Mrs Kimmance, 39, of Milnthorpe Lane, Winchester, head of maths at St Swithun’s School, gave birth at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital on December 21, but died two days later of fatal toxic shock syndrome following a Group A streptococcal infection.

Jasmine Pickett, 29, also a teacher, of Pennington Close, Colden Common, died on Christmas Eve of pneumonia following the same infection after also giving birth on December 21.

In a statement issued at the time the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust said the deaths did not appear to be directly connected.

Both women had been discharged from the hospital.

However, some experts have suggested there may be a link.

Mark Enright, professor of molecular epidemiology at Imperial College, London, said: “Nationally, you are talking about 100 women dying after giving birth in the UK every year. It’s extremely unlikely that [the two deaths] are not linked.”

In the UK there were 18 deaths from Group A streptococcal infection between 2003-5 with eight cases from streptococcus A.

In 2006 there were 1,272 cases of Group A streptococcal infection across the whole of the UK.

The elderly, very young and new mothers are believed to be more susceptible to infection.