Home / Health / Baby Dies After Consent Breach and Sepsis
Baby Dies After Consent Breach and Sepsis
24 Nov
Summary
- A ten-day-old baby died from sepsis following a biopsy.
- The biopsy was performed without parental consent.
- Hospital admitted failures in care and consent.
A tragic case has emerged where a ten-day-old baby girl, Willow Rose Courtney-Thompson, succumbed to E.Coli sepsis. The infant died after undergoing a rectal biopsy at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. The procedure was reportedly conducted without the full consent of her parents, who were not adequately warned of the risks, including infection.
The inquest into Willow's death uncovered a series of critical errors. These included the absence of necessary pre-procedure antibiotics and the decision to send the baby home just ten hours after the biopsy. The coroner stated that Willow would likely have survived had she remained in the hospital for 24-hour monitoring.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has since admitted breaches of duty concerning antibiotic administration and the premature discharge of the infant. They also acknowledged a failure in the formal consent process. The hospital has offered profound apologies, stating that lessons have been learned to prevent similar tragedies.
