Matthew's family to sue hospital over death (From Daily Echo)
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Matthew's family to sue hospital over death
2:49pm Friday 15th February 2013 in News
Matthew's family to sue hospital over death
THE family of a four-year-old boy plan to sue the hospital where he died.
Anthony Kenway and Katie Oxley, parents of Matthew Kenway, have said they will take out a clinical negligence case against Southampton General Hospital.
Matthew, of Bellfield, Fareham, who suffered from a type of muscular dystrophy, was recovering from a kidney operation at the hospital when his heart stopped suddenly and he died on December 16, 2010, an inquest earlier this month heard.
As previously reported the inquest was told how Matthew was looked after on the paediatric high-dependency unit but in the early hours the oxygen monitor probe appeared not to be recording anything.
A nurse initially thought the machine might be faulty, but in fact Matthew's heart had stopped.
The inquest heard how Matthew had not been hooked up to a heart monitor.
Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman delivered a narrative verdict earlier this month, in which he said there was clearly a delay in recognising that Matthew had had a cardiac arrest.
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust has said following Matthew's death it had now introduced heart monitoring for all infants and children who have had surgery.
Comments(7)
ohec
says...
3:43pm Fri 15 Feb 13
What will be achieved by suing the hospital apart from denying another child of treatment, if they do sue and win i hope any money they get chokes them.
On the inside
says...
4:40pm Fri 15 Feb 13
cantthinkofone
says...
6:18pm Fri 15 Feb 13
On the inside wrote:I reluctantly agree with that position. Reluctant because I'm sympathetic to their loss. But you're right, IMHO.
Their loss is palpable and tragic but they were not dependent on this little boy so I fail to see how they can possibly have suffered a finacial loss that they should be compensated for. They should get an apology a full investigation and a change in practice to reduce the likleyhood of recurrence. Any individual failings should be addresses through investigations by the relevant professional registration bodies and the employer. As far as I can see this has all happened. I cannot see where a lump of cash will assist anyone and is will not assuage the parents understandable grief.
IronLady2010
says...
9:58pm Fri 15 Feb 13
Many hours re-living the tragic events and having all those thoughts of what could have been done or what couldn't.
Sometimes we all look to blame someone and some see this fight as an escape, but it's only short term, at some point we have to accept they're gone.
Best wishes to the family concerned. xx
Ginger_cyclist
says...
1:22am Sat 16 Feb 13
ohec
says...
11:26am Sat 16 Feb 13
Ginger_cyclist wrote:If you read the article properly you will see that that they have changed their procedures so there is no point in the trust losing money as you put it, the only affect of the trust losing money (our money) would be to deny others of care and treatment. Any amount of money will not make up for the loss of their child and to think in terms of making money out of the loss of their child is obscene, just another example of todays sad compensation culture that we have imported from the U.S.A.
I agree it was negligent to not put him on a heart monitor but as others have said, suing the hospital won't help much, forcing them to change the way they things to reduce the chance of this happening will help, I would go as far as saying that anyone due for surgery or recovering from surgery should be on a heart monitor, no matter how fit and well or how sick and frail they may be as you never know who might go into cardiac arrest but the family wish to sue so I wish them luck as losing money might still make the hospital/NHS change procedure to reduce the chance of this happening again.
diesel64 says...
3:28pm Fri 15 Feb 13