The parents of a baby who died in hospital have uncovered a shocking plot by NHS chiefs to erase a damning recording in which they admitted staff made appalling blunders.
Devastated parents Allyn and Jenny Condon met doctors to ask why staff failed to spot and treat a fatal infection that struck their precious eight-week-old son Ben.
But when the couple left the room, medics were caught on tape agreeing that their baby should have been given antibiotics much sooner – which could have saved his life.
Then, in an appalling attempt to cover their tracks, they desperately discussed deleting the conversation fearing it would incriminate them.
The conspiracy only came to light because Mr Condon, a former Olympic sprinter, and his wife had left their mobile phone recording while they were out of the room. Last night 2002 Commonwealth gold medal winner Mr Condon, 41, said: ‘When we heard the tape we were horrified. It confirmed our fears that hospital staff tried to cover up why our darling son Ben died.’
They believe staff at Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital closed ranks to conceal a shocking series of blunders and a disturbing culture of ‘complacency’ on the intensive care ward.
Ben’s parents say staff:
- Missed tall-tale signs that Ben had a virulent bacterial infection for three days;
- Only gave him antibiotics minutes before he died – six hours after a doctor diagnosed sepsis; when the immune system goes into overdrive
- Assumed Ben would recover, thinking he just had a mild virus;
- Hid knowledge that Ben contracted the bacterial infection pseudomonas – which could have come from hospital equipment – for seven weeks after his death;
- Falsely told them key blood tests were done the day before he died – when they were not.
Allyn and Jenny Condon unearthed flaws in Ben’s care after attending a series of meetings with doctors, which they openly recorded on their phone. They then compared the verbal accounts with medical notes.
At a crunch meeting in July they met intensive care consultant Dr Margrid Schindler, who had carried out a review into Ben’s death, and critical care manager Julie Vass.
They also asked Dr Paul Mannix to attend, a neonatologist who had helped care for Ben for weeks after his premature birth in February. The meeting was openly recorded by both the hospital and the Condons.
0 Response to "Baby death cover-up shames NHS: Doctors admitted blunders over eight-week-old son's infections without realising they were being taped by his parents... then plotted to delete their incriminating words "
Post a Comment