Home / Crime and Justice / Nurse's 'Trauma' Over Boy's Death in Hospital Neglect Case
Nurse's 'Trauma' Over Boy's Death in Hospital Neglect Case
4 Dec
Summary
- A seven-year-old boy died after a blood saturation monitor was off for hours.
- The nurse in charge denied manslaughter by gross negligence.
- The nurse claimed trauma from the incident affected her memory.
An intensive care nurse, Anuradha Bhupathiraju, is on trial for the manslaughter of a seven-year-old boy who died following severe brain damage at the Portland Hospital. James Dwerryhouse was admitted for bowel surgery and required close monitoring due to his complex health conditions, including sleep apnoea.
During a night shift, a junior nurse temporarily removed James's monitoring equipment. However, Bhupathiraju, who was in charge of the paediatric intensive care unit, allegedly failed to ensure the monitors were reattached when James went back to sleep. This lapse meant the boy was starved of oxygen for hours, leading to irreversible brain injury.
Bhupathiraju denies gross negligence, telling the court she was traumatised by James's death and that the stress may have affected her memory. She also highlighted the pressure of working as an agency nurse. James died the day after being discharged to a hospice.
