A new inquest for the death of a three-year-old is recommended after a new independent review reveals the hospital may have committed forgery of statements.
On August 2014, Jonnie Meek, 3, died while undergoing a trial of inserting a feed into his stomach. The boy, who had a rare genetic condition called de Gauchy syndrome, was allergic to the type of milk provided, according to the parents.
However, the recent independent investigation suggested that the hospital, which was under the Mid Staffordshire Trust during that time, responded poorly to the parents, including declaring his death as pneumonia. Further, there seems to be a motive to deceive by forging staff statements that claimed the boy was already sick when he arrived in the hospital. Dr. Martin Farrier, a pediatrician who led the investigation, also mentioned that their actions were examples of a "closed culture" that permeates within the NHS.
The Mid Staffordshire Trust was dissolved sometime in 2014 in relation to their response over the boy's death and other complaints such as more than 1,000 "needless" deaths from 2005 to 2008. It was believed that the trust was trying to achieve a foundation status in expense of the needs and welfare of the patients.
But this isn't the only trust that is cited by the review. It also mentioned Derby Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, which now manages the hospital where the attending nurse now works. Farrier lamented on how it was difficult to get an interview with the nurse pertaining to the case. The trust, however, was quick in saying that the nurse is entitled to ask for help from their union and be proactive during an investigation.
John Meek, the boy's father, welcomed the report and the possible new inquest, saying it was the outcome that they had been looking for over the last 12 months.