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Inquest into baby’s death hears paramedics did not use emergency “blue light” to hospital (9 January 2015)

Date: 09/01/2015
Duncan Lewis, Personal Injury Solicitors, Inquest into baby’s death hears paramedics did not use emergency “blue light” to hospital

An inquest has heard how a mother begged an ambulance crew and doctors to save her baby, after the infant collapsed after returning home from heart surgery.

Baby Lacey-Marie Poton was born prematurely at 34 weeks with Down’s syndrome and a congenital heart defect on 24 March, 2013. She weighed just 4lb 11oz at birth and was diagnosed with heart problems – including Tetralogy of Fallot – for which she later underwent heart surgery at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Lacey-Marie had only been at home for 10 minutes when she collapsed on 27 July, 2013. The baby had undergone three procedures involving cardiac surgery at the children’s hospital the day before she collapsed.

However, her mother Emma Norley, 21, from Fishponds in Bristol, says that ambulance staff refused to treat her daughter as an emergency.

Ms Norley and her partner Johnny Poton said their daughter was “shivering, shaking and pale” after being discharged from the children’s hospital, after a final procedure involving catheterisation and inserting a stent to improve blood flow to the baby’s lungs.

The day after the operation, Lacey-Marie began to vomit, but her parents were told it was caused by the anaesthetic. Ms Norley and Mr Poton were told by the hospital to make an appointment with their GP. However, a GP receptionist refused to make an appointment because the baby appeared too unwell and advised Ms Norley and Mr Poton to take her back to hospital, where a gastrointestinal infection was diagnosed and medication for this prescribed.

After Lacey-Marie collapsed at home after suffering a cardiac arrest, Ms Norley performed CPR while waiting for an ambulance crew to arrive at their home. Paramedics had arrived within six minutes to find the baby “pale and mottled” and “floppy”.

They decided to take her to A&E, but Lacey-Marie’s condition deteriorated rapidly and she died in Ms Norley’s arms four hours after arriving at Bristol Royal Hospital.

The inquest into Lacey-Marie’s death is the seventh inquest involving the death of a child treated in the cardiac unit at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children which has been heard by Avon Coroner's Court.

Ms Norley – who is expecting her second child – told the inquest:

“The ambulance arrived within 10 minutes – and the paramedics did not think there was anything wrong with Lacey-Marie.
“I told them I had just performed CPR, but they did not seem to understand why I had had to.

“Despite having told the operator on the phone that the patient was a baby, the ambulance did not seem to be properly equipped,” Ms Norley said.

“She was not treated as an emergency – and no blue light was used throughout the journey, even though Lacey-Marie was still crying and grunting,” she added.

At hospital, the baby was transferred to the intensive care ward after being given CPR. Ms Norley said that doctors at the hospital gave Lacey-Marie a 50% chance of survival – suggesting the baby was in a “critical” condition.

Ms Norley told the inquest she was “crying my eyes out” and begged a cardiologist to save her baby daughter.

“I ran in to intensive care and held Lacey-Marie in my arms as she passed away,” she told the hearing.

A post-mortem failed to find an exact cause of death and cited Down’s syndrome and congenital heart disease.

An internal report by South Western Ambulance Service found that the ambulance crew did not recognise the “time critical” condition of the baby – however, paramedic Kevin Brown said using blue lights would have only reduced the journey time by “one or two minutes”.

A second paramedic, Nicholas Stock – who has received extra training since the incident – said that Ms Norley had told them the baby being pale, mottled and floppy was her “usual” state.

Consultant emergency paediatrician Mark Lyttle said extra staff, drugs and experts could have been made ready had a blue light case been flagged up.

Lead consultant in paediatric cardiology, Dr Andrew Tometzki, told the hearing it was “unclear” what had caused Lacey-Marie’s death.

Coroner Maria Voisin adjourned the inquest until Friday (09/01/15).

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors – Claims against Paramedics and Cardiac/Heart Surgery Claims

Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors can advise patients on how to make no win no fee Claims against Paramedics and Cardiac/Heart Surgery Claims in cases in which medical negligence was the cause of further injury or death to a patient.

Clinical negligence claimants have three years in which to make a claim against paramedics or a hospital trust – and claims for children injured as a result of medical negligence can be made up to the age of 21.

In cases in which a loved one had died as a result of medical negligence, Duncan Lewis can advise bereaved families on how to make a no win no fee Fatal Injuries Claim.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Claims against Paramedics and Cardiac/heart Surgery Claims, call Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors on 020 7923 4020.


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