A Leicester UK nurse was found guilty of manslaughter by the crown court jury over the death of a 6-year-old boy in 2011.
Isabel Amaro, 47, was shocked to hear the unanimous decision of the jury who deliberated for more than 10 hours. But according to them, the nurse was negligent of her duty that partly or wholly contributed to the death of the child. She stood in trial with a doctor, Hadiza Bawa-Garba, 38, and another nurse, Theresa Taylor, 55. They are a part of the infirmary's Children's Assessment Unit.
Jack Adcock, 6, from Glen Perva, had a Down's syndrome and a heart condition, which he had to take medications for. He lived with his parents, Victor and Nicky, and his sister, Ruby. He also attended a school in a one-on-one setup. His parents and the prosecutors described the boy prior to his death as "thriving" and energetic."
However, on the night of Feb 17, 2011, he started feeling ill, vomiting and suffering from breathlessness. The family's GP recommended that he be brought to the hospital immediately, which the family did. The boy was admitted in Leicester Royal Infirmary on Feb 18.
Eleven hours after, the boy was dead from cardiac arrest triggered by bacterial sepsis, although he was initially admitted to the hospital due to pneumonia.
According to the investigation, which the prosecutor presented to the court, all of the accused have failed to provide effective care for the boy. When the boy collapsed and his heart needed to be revived, Dr Bawa-Garba prevented the staff from extending help, saying that the boy already had a Do Not Resuscitate order early in the morning. It turns out the doctor had wrongfully confused the boy with another patient.
The nurses, meanwhile, gave Adcock a POPS (pediatric observation priority score) of 4, despite the symptoms and poor vital condition upon arrival. This could have prevented the other doctors from providing the correct care at this critical time.
The jury is still determining Amaro's sentence. The other two will continue with the trial, which is expected to last for a few more weeks. All three denied the charges.
