Hospital takes eight years to admit baby death blunders

A HOSPITAL that took eight years to investigate the death of a baby boy has finally admitted that he could still be alive if doctors had not failed to act.

Kyle Keen was killed by his stepfather in 2006 after NHS staff failed to report ‘suspicious bruising’ to police or social services. Walsall Manor Hospital now admits that 16- month- old Kyle, pictured, could still be alive if the most basic child protection procedures had been followed. He was seen by a senior paediatrician, Dr Rajneesh Walia, in the days leading up to his death. But he said bruising on the boy’s body was due to an infection, and failed to refer Kyle to the police or social services despite two members of staff recommending he do so.

Kyle was discharged but readmitted a week later with head injuries. His life support machine was turned off a day later and a post-mortem examination revealed he had been severely shaken. Stepfather Tyrone Matthews was jailed for six years for manslaughter.

Dr Walia has now been suspended and is to be assessed to ‘ensure he is fully able to undertake his role’.

The report into the hospital’s handling of the case, written by independent consultants, said ‘serious errors of judgment’ by staff may have contributed to the boy’s death. Richard Kirby, chief executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, ‘apologised unreservedly’ to Kyle’s father, Robert, for his son’s poor care.