Mikey Hornby
16 Dec 2014 · Coroner John Pollard · Manchester (South)
The coroner's concerns
1. delayed or omitted referral of child with infected umbilical cord
“On the first attendance at the OOH service, the attending staff having seen the infected umbilical cord, did not immediately send [the deceased] to the Hospital (as would have been the correct procedure according to the Consultant [name redacted] who gave evidence to me.)”
2. inadequate assessment of seriousness of child's condition
“On the second attendance the doctor failed to appreciate the seriousness of the situation and at 10.45 at night sent the child home with a prescription for analgesia (which could not be filled until the following day in any event). The Consultant [name redacted] gave evidence to me”
3. failure to consider meningitis as possible diagnosis
“If there is any realistic possibility of the condition being meningitis, the child should have been immediately admitted to the hospital.”
4. lack of basic diagnostic capability in OOH service
“The GP covering the surgery that night indicated that they do not have the facility to take a simple blood test. If this is the case, then they should utilise the adjacent facilities at the Emergency Department of the hospital.”