A midwife singled out for criticism after a woman died following a caesarean operation at the exclusive Portland hospital admitted a series of blunders at a disciplinary hearing yesterday.

Grace Bartholomew was assigned to 31-year-old Laura Touche after she delivered twins at the private hospital in central London.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council heard that Ms Bartholomew had been working on the postnatal ward on the night of February 6 1999 when Mrs Touche was admitted for an emergency caesarean.

Ms Bartholomew admitted failing to carry out basic observations after the operation between 11pm and 1.30am and failing to provide an adequate handover when she went on her break at 1.30.

She also admitted failing to maintain adequate records for Mrs Touche while she was in her care.

Mrs Touche died following a stroke nine days after the delivery.

The Harvard law school graduate, a direct descendant of the former US president Thomas Jefferson, died from natural causes "contributed to by neglect", an inquest jury found in January 2002.

Ms Bartholomew was singled out for criticism by the coroner, Dr Susan Hungerford, who said the new mother might have been treated earlier if her high blood pressure had been spotted sooner.

At the inquest Dr Hungerford said: "The principal and most catastrophic, and at present inexplicable error, was the failure by Ms Grace Bartholomew to carry out routine vital postoperative monitoring."

Mrs Touche's husband Peter is the grandson of the founder of accountancy firm Deloitte and Touche.

The case continues.