Nurse's Negligence Leads to Boy's Tragic Death in London Hospital

On August 26, 2016, a 7-year-old boy named James Dwerryhouse tragically passed away at a private children's hospital in central London. The incident occurred after a senior nurse, Anuradha Bhupathiraju, failed to properly monitor the boy's condition while he was under her care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

James, who had several significant health conditions including sleep apnea, had undergone routine bowel surgery at the hospital two days prior. He was kept in the PICU overnight for close monitoring due to the risk of him stopping breathing during his sleep. However, the court heard that Bhupathiraju, who was the nurse in charge that night, did not reconnect James to the necessary electronic monitoring equipment after a junior nurse had temporarily removed it.

For over an hour, the 64-year-old nurse allegedly left the young patient unmonitored, despite the fact that monitoring was the "central reason" he had been admitted to intensive care in the first place. When the junior nurse returned from a break, he found that James had stopped breathing and had no pulse. Resuscitation efforts were made, but the lack of oxygen had caused irreversible brain damage. James was later discharged to a hospice near his home in Ipswich, where he passed away the following day.

The prosecutor stated that James's death was "wholly preventable" and that Bhupathiraju's "very serious neglect" directly caused the tragedy. The nurse, who has over 40 years of experience and previously worked as a deputy matron, is now on trial for manslaughter by gross negligence.