NHS PAYOUT OVER BABY DEATH
The parents of a baby boy who contracted sepsis after earlier getting chicken pox have been awarded a payout by Sunderland Royal Hospital chiefs after he died hours after being admitted for treatment.
Layton Boys-Hope was taken to the Royal by his worried parents Dave and Nicol after he became breathless and feverish in February 2015.
He had been making a good recovery from a bout of chicken pox when he suddenly became ill at home.
Layton was admitted with a temperature of 39.9°C, and his left foot ‘purple’ in colour.
Having been admitted at 3.13pm, Layton was then reviewed by a doctor at 3.45pm, at which time an enlargement of his liver was recorded and the possibility of a bacterial infection noted.
However, despite this, City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust admitted no further observations were then made to assess Layton’s condition over the following six hours.
Doctors had noted the discolouration in Layton’s foot but were not in agreement over its cause.
It was dismissed as having been caused by either his nappy being too tight or having slept on his leg.
Layton was given Calpol to reduce his temperature while investigations were carried out, but blood tests were not assessed until three and a half hours after his admission, when a low white blood cell count was discovered. Solicitors who led a legal case against the hospital trust on behalf of Layton’s parents said these results should have triggered an immediate decision to administer antibiotics to help fight infection.
However, doctors instead decided to carry out further tests, including an x-ray and tests for liver function.
Layton was admitted to a ward at 9pm and given antibiotics at 11.25pm – more than eight hours after he was first seen.
However, by this stage his condition had rapidly declined, his oxygen levels dropped and his heartbeat had almost come to a stop.
He was transferred to theatre but died after 30 minutes of CPR.
As part of legal action against the trust through Hudgell Solicitors, it was alleged that had antibiotics been given at any time before 6.45pm (up to three and a half hours after admission), Layton would have survived.
Layton’s cause of death was recorded as overwhelming sepsis, caused by chicken pox.
His devastated parents Dave and Nichol have now agreed a damages settlement with the hospital trust following their legal case.
The trust recognised and admitted that had antibiotics been given earlier, it could have affected Layton’s outcome.
However, it was denied that the timing of the antibiotics represented substandard care.
The trust denied overall liability for Layton’s death. Trust bosses have expressed their condolences to Layton’s family and added that there is now a “dedicated Sepsis lead” working with teams at the organisation.
Dave and Nichol, who have six other children, say they now want others to be aware of how serious sepsis can be.
Dave, 38, an optical lab technician, said: “If things had been different, Layton would still be here and that’s the hardest part of it all.
“No parent should have to go through that and deal with that.
“We thought he was in the best place but, in my eyes, they didn’t do everything they should have done.
“We can’t ever accept that.”