Bristol Children's Hospital has been heavily criticised by an independent report after staff plotted to delete a tape recording where consultants admitted errors could have led to a boy's death.
The report, commissioned by hospital bosses, said the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UHB Trust) had failed to "get a real grip of the issues" into the death of little Benjamin Condon.
His parents, Olympian Allyn Condon and wife Jenny, will sit in at Ben's inquest on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Background:
Ben was born on February 17 last year after the family's long struggle for a second child. The couple, who had their first son Nate four years earlier, struggled to deal with 10 miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy.
Allyn told the Bristol Post: "The report was very specific about what it was about.
"We were pleased with the outcome and it was something we've been saying to the hospital for months about all the problems.
"I think there are two different things. Obviously the inquest is establishing the cause of death – and we hope we will get the right cause of death from the coroner.
"In terms of the hospital, the report criticised the managers' responses, but what they need to do is investigate the fact that Ben's death was covered up."
Born in Southmead Hospital, Ben weighed just under three pounds at 29 weeks old. He spent seven weeks in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before he was strong enough to go home on April 7.
But after three days, Ben developed cough, but nurses said it was likely to be just an allergy. His condition deteriorated, and after a call to NHS 111, the family went to Weston General Hospital.
The toddler's continued to worsen, and he was transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital, where he was diagnosed with human metapneumovirus.
Doctors thought it to be the common cold and that he would improve, but he did not.
The parents from Weston-super-Mare said Ben would start a course of antibiotics on April 17, but none was administered.
By the afternoon, he was diagnosed with sepsis and organ failure, and the little boy suffered a cardiac arrest.
Antibiotics was finally given around 8pm, but it was too late and he died more than an hour later.
That was on April 17 last year and Allyn, a gym manager in Bristol, was told Ben had succumbed to a cold-like viral infection.But more than two months later, doctors revealed it was a more virulent bacterial infection, which could have been prevented if antibiotics were given.
On July 22, two consultants – Dr Paul Mannix and Dr Margrid Schindler – together with manager Julie Vass met with the parents and agreed to record the meeting.
During a break, the clinicians continued to discuss Ben's clinical care.
They realised both the trust's and parent's recorders were still going, but one of them suggested the discussion should be deleted – something agreed by the manager.
The trust's recorder was paused while the family's recording continued to capture the discussion, with the clinicians saying the parents "had a point" and they struggled to see why Ben wasn't given antibiotics earlier.
Extracted from:
www.bristolpost.co.uk
Fuente: www.bristolpost.co.uk
