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Nurse's Negligence Leads to Boy's Tragic Death in London Hospital
11 Nov
Summary
- 7-year-old boy died due to nurse's failure to monitor him in intensive care
- Nurse Anuradha Bhupathiraju accused of "stark and fatal error"
- Boy had sleep apnea and was at risk of stopping breathing
In a heartbreaking incident, a 7-year-old boy named James Dwerryhouse has died due to a senior nurse's negligence at a private children's hospital in London. According to the court proceedings, on August 26, 2016, Anuradha Bhupathiraju, a 64-year-old nurse with over 40 years of experience, was in charge of the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the Portland Hospital.
James, who had several significant health conditions including sleep apnea, was admitted to the PICU for close monitoring after undergoing routine bowel surgery. However, when Bhupathiraju took over his care, she failed to reconnect the boy to the vital monitors, despite knowing the serious risk he faced of stopping breathing in his sleep.
The prosecutor stated that Bhupathiraju's "stark and fatal error" of leaving James unmonitored for over an hour led to his tragic death. The junior nurse who later resumed care found that James had stopped breathing and had no pulse. Though CPR was performed, the lack of oxygen had caused irreversible brain damage, and James was eventually discharged to a hospice, where he passed away the next day.
The court heard that Bhupathiraju, who currently works at the Royal Brompton Hospital, admits to not reconnecting the monitors but claims she was not fully informed about the boy's conditions. However, the prosecutors argue that her negligence directly caused James's preventable death.
