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A hospital trust has acknowledged full responsibility for a series of 24 failures that ultimately resulted in the death of 21-month-old Eleanor Hazel Aldred-Owen. Eleanor passed away at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool on 2 October 2023. A coroner’s report determined that her death arose from misadventure, with neglect playing a contributing role.
Eleanor underwent routine surgery to correct craniosynostosis, a skull birth defect, on 29 September 2023. While the operation itself proceeded mostly as planned, complications arose when an abnormal chest X-ray was overlooked and not promptly acted upon. During her recovery, Eleanor’s condition deteriorated—she experienced a collapsed lung likely caused by the surgery and a subsequent cardiac arrest, which resulted in an unsurvivable brain injury. Tragically, she died in the arms of her parents.
The family, who come from Mold in Flintshire, have been coping with profound guilt and trauma since Eleanor’s passing. They expressed their heartbreak, emphasizing that their daughter’s death was preventable. Eleanor’s father, Chaz, stated, “Not knowing how or why Eleanor died was the key factors and what kept us going was justice for her. The real victory is making sure what happened to Eleanor doesn’t happen to anyone else. No other family or child will have to go through what we have.” He also shared that both he and his wife, Rachel, initially suspected the death was due to neglect but were unaware of its full extent until the trust admitted gross neglect. Chaz described the trust’s admission of gross neglect as the hardest moment for them.
Investigation revealed multiple failures in Eleanor’s care. During her recovery, an undocumented and unprescribed type of high-flow humidified oxygen called AIRVO was administered. Additionally, a radiographer did not flag the abnormal chest X-ray, and a doctor who could have reviewed the image was occupied in the emergency department. Crucially, repeated errors in calculating Eleanor’s Paediatric Early Warning System scores delayed timely medical review and intervention, missing opportunities to prevent her condition from worsening. The hospital trust has described Eleanor’s death as “tragic” and acknowledged it “should not have happened.”
Following the tragedy, the trust has introduced new post-operative procedures named in Eleanor’s honor. The family recognizes these changes as a meaningful legacy, reflecting their hopes that future children will receive safer care. Eleanor’s solicitor, Lynda Reynolds of Hugh James law firm, described the case as “unimaginably tragic” and praised the trust’s acceptance of responsibility and public apology, while noting the long and painful process the family endured. She added, “We hope that the changes the trust have implemented continue to make care safer for other children.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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