Tot dies after 3-day op delay because hospital has no bed
A TODDLER died in agony after waiting three days for surgery because no hospital beds were available, an inquest heard.
Kayden Urmston-Bancroft was taken to hospital after banging his head but an X-ray revealed his bowel had burst through his diaphragm.
The 20-month-old was transferred to another hospital for urgent surgery but was still waiting when he went into cardiac arrest three days later. He was rushed to theatre but could not be revived.
Mum Shannon Bancroft expected him to have the op immediately after the move from Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, the inquest heard. She said in a statement that Kayden was “screaming and seemed to be in a lot pain” as they waited, and that they were told “the only reason for the delay was the lack of beds” in the children’s high dependency unit.
A bed became available while Kayden was there but was given to a patient deemed more seriously ill.
Ms Bancroft called nurses after noticing his lips had started to turn blue. He collapsed and doctors could not revive him. She made the decision to turn off life support two days later.
He died with his grandmother reading him Mr Men stories.
On-call consultant surgeon Jigna Sheth said she had apologised to the family, from Stockport. She added if Kayden had the diaphragmatic hernia surgery while he was well “we would have expected a good outcome”.
The Manchester hearing continues.