Baby diagnosed with HMPV died after 111 call handler failed to send an ambulance

Ben Condon was conscionable 2 months aged erstwhile helium died aft processing a respiratory unwellness - helium is present the taxable of a caller inquest aft caller grounds emerged astir his attraction astatine a hospital

A babe diagnosed with human metapneumovirus (hMPV) died aft a 111 telephone handler failed to nonstop an ambulance.

Ben Condon was 2 months aged erstwhile helium died astatine Bristol Children's Hospital successful April 2015 aft helium developed a respiratory illness. An inquest had primitively recorded his decease arsenic having been caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), HMPV and prematurity.

High Court judges quashed the decision and ordered a caller inquest aft caller grounds emerged astir Ben’s attraction astatine the hospital. The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust admitted their nonaccomplishment to springiness Ben timely antibiotics contributed to his death.

A caller inquest, which began connected Monday, heard Ben was calved astatine 29 weeks astatine Southmead Hospital successful Bristol connected February 17 2015 and spent weeks successful the paediatric intensive attraction unit. Avon Coroner’s Court heard helium went location connected April 7 with his parents to Weston Super Mare, North Somerset but soon developed a acold and runny nose.

When helium became airy and acold and was not feeding properly, his disquieted begetter Allyn, a erstwhile Olympic sprinter, rang the non-emergency 111 work astatine astir 6pm connected April 10. After Mr Condon answered a bid of questions, the telephone handler referred Ben for an out-of-hours telephone call-back assignment with a GP wrong 2 hours alternatively than nonstop an ambulance.

The tribunal heard that by 7.45pm erstwhile Mr Condon and his woman Jenny had not received the telephone from the GP, they took their lad to the Weston General Hospital. Reading from a written statement, Assistant Coroner Robert Sowersby said Care UK, which runs the 111 service, apologised to the Condon household and the advisor was taken disconnected calls for astir 3 weeks and received further training.

“Care UK admitted it was astatine responsibility for having not sent an ambulance aft the call,” Mr Sowersby said. “It said that changes successful the recordings of telephone calls needed to beryllium made and apologised for their failings.

“Care UK identified successful the basal origin investigation that the wellness advisor failed to actively perceive and failed to judge the responses provided and determination was a nonaccomplishment to prime the due pathway responses.” Mr Sowersby said the incidental study recovered the telephone handler had incorrectly recorded answers to questions to whether Ben was conscious and alert, and whether helium was pale, limp and unresponsive.

“A close effect to conscionable 1 of these questions would person led to the dispatch of an exigency ambulance,” Mr Sowersby said. “Cognitive bias was a contributory origin successful the effect measurement successful that the wellness advisor was mindful of the outer pressures regarding ambulances being called retired and moved towards, alternatively than distant from a GP outcome.”

At the opening of the inquest, Mr Sowersby had said grounds would absorption connected the attraction Ben received aft being transferred to Bristol from Weston successful the aboriginal hours of April 11 until helium died six days later. He had been diagnosed with hMPV – similar the communal acold successful adults – and aboriginal recovered to person ARDS. The lad besides tested affirmative for pseudomonas, a bacterial infection.

Ben’s information worsened and helium was prescribed antibiotics astatine 11am but these were not administered until 8pm. By past helium had suffered a cardiac arrest. He died soon aft 9pm aft suffering a 2nd cardiac arrest. Mr Sowersby said helium would beryllium proceeding grounds of “whether determination were immoderate culpable quality failings during the people of that care”.

He said the grounds would besides see the absorption of Ben’s somesthesia and ventilation, his humor tests and tests for infection, the medication of antibiotics and the effect to his deterioration connected April 17. “The grade to which interior infirmary guidelines and protocols were adhered to and the grade to which immoderate applicable nationalist and nonrecreational guidelines were adhered to,” Mr Sowersby said.

The inquest continues.