**Baby girl, 1, dies from neglect in hospital despite parents’ concerns**
A one-year-old girl tragically passed away due to gross neglect while under hospital care, as determined by a coroner. Eleanor Aldred-Owen was diagnosed with bicoronal craniosynostosis at just 12 weeks old, a condition where the skull bones fuse prematurely, putting pressure on the brain and necessitating surgery. An inquest in Liverpool heard that Eleanor underwent surgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital on September 29 last year but faced complications that were not adequately addressed, leading to missed opportunities for treatment.
During the surgery, a tube became dislodged, causing Eleanor to experience tachycardia, a heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute. Despite her parents’ concerns, Eleanor, from Mold in Wales, was moved to recovery after the procedure. Her parents noticed abnormalities in Eleanor’s breathing post-surgery, even providing a video to medical staff. Medical staff failed to address Eleanor’s grunting noises, which could have indicated airway issues or severe illness.
Although Eleanor appeared stable apart from an elevated heart rate, she tragically collapsed and became unresponsive later that day due to her heart rate exceeding safe levels. Despite efforts to save her, Eleanor passed away on October 2. Assistant Coroner Helen Rimmer concluded that Eleanor’s death resulted from gross neglect due to multiple missed opportunities in her care.
A spokesperson for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital issued an apology to Eleanor’s family, acknowledging the errors in her care and expressing commitment to preventing such tragedies in the future. The hospital has since implemented changes in various protocols to improve patient care.
The thorough internal investigation identified several areas for improvement, including enhancements in theatre recovery discharge, oxygen administration, on-call response processes, paediatric early warning system, and staff training. The hospital expressed deep regret for failing Eleanor and her family, acknowledging the pain caused by the lapses in care.
This heartbreaking incident serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of thorough and diligent medical care, particularly for vulnerable patients like young children. It underscores the need for continuous review and enhancement of healthcare protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of every patient under hospital care.