An NHS Trust charged with corporate manslaughter over the death of a teacher following a caesarean section defended its hiring of two doctors involved in her care.

Frances Cappuccini, 30, died of a heart attack caused by high levels of acid in her blood due to a lack of oxygen.

She suffered severe bleeding and never regained consciousness after surgery, which took place after she delivered her second son, Giacomo, in October 2012.

Dr Errol Cornish, 68, a consultant anesthetist, denies gross negligence manslaughter while Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust denies corporate manslaughter.

Dr Nadeem Azeez, 53, was Dr Cornish's junior colleague and, along with his South African-born superior, was said to not have the relevant qualifications for their posts at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent.

But lawyers for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said both doctors had equivalent experience working abroad.

John Cooper QC, defending the Trust at Inner London Court, said: "As far as the Trust is concerned they've delivered.

"Dr Azeez was given a plan of how to act in a situation in which he needed help.

"The trust took action and pointed Dr Azeez in the right direction so he should know what to do."

Dr Azeez gained his degree at a university in his native Pakistan in 1987, before moving to the UK.

He is not appearing in court as he is believed to have returned to his home country of Pakistan.

Dr Cornish got his degree in Natal, South Africa, was a research fellow at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, where the first heart transplant op was performed.

He then went on to work at the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital as well as the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.

In his cross-examination of the prosecution's expert witness, Professor Hopkins, Mr Cooper said: "You've been highly critical of the trust for employing Dr Azeez and Dr Cornish.

"Dr Cornish has worked on cruise ships and liners dealing with crews, passengers and complex traumas.

"He has a wealth of experience both in this country and abroad.

"You're saying despite this locum experience that is not good enough?"

Prof Hopkins replied: "The issue here is the relative isolation anaesthetists work in and how you deal with an emergency.

"In his interview the trust should have asked him questions on how he would have reacted in certain situations.

"There are a lot of relatively short-term positions in his CV, which is a cause for concern.

"He's not got any postgraduate qualifications recognised in this country.

"I didn't find much evidence that he kept up-to-date with how medicine was developing over the years.

"The trust should have undertaken these steps to ensure patient safety."

The Trust say the Royal College of Anaesthetists' FRCA qualification is merely recommended and not mandatory.

Mr Cooper added: "The FRCA is recommended by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, it's not something that every specialist anaesthetist must have."

It was revealed Mrs Cappuccini suffered kidney failure shortly before she died. The court heard this was caused by a lack of oxygen and blood which had started happening during an operation

The jury were told Mrs Cappuccini was given a spinal epidural at 12.17pm and was conscious during the operation with her second son Giacomo born at 12.58pm.

The operation finished at 2.46pm but Mrs Cappuccini died at 4.40pm of a heart attack after a second operation to stem heavy blood loss.

Before her cardiac arrest at 3.16pm she had a raised level of creatinine - a measure of marking kidney damage, Inner London Crown Court heard.

Dr Paul Smith, a fellow at the Royal College of Pathology and a European specialist in laboratory medicine, told the jury: "The consequences of a cardiac arrest has been shown to lead to acute kidney injury and can develop in time following the cardiac arrest."

The trial continues on Monday.