Coroner Jonathan Dixey says that the fact that Northampton General Hospital did not have a pediatric doctor available after hours played a role in the death of nine-month-old Iona Buckingham there in 2022. Iona died because of complications from bronchiolitis, and the coroner was worried that more kids might die if they can’t get an x-ray or chest ultrasound right away when they have a disease like pneumonia.
After an investigation into Iona’s sad death on December 4, 2022, the coroner’s office wrote a report on how to stop future deaths. This report included the coroner’s findings. The report talked about a “missed opportunity” on November 29: an antibiotic called clindamycin was not given, which may have played a part in Iona’s death. On December 3, another chance was lost when an x-ray, clindamycin, and arrangement for transfer to another hospital for a chest drain were all left unfinished. It was thought that these mistakes “probably” led to Iona’s death during a “accidental extubation.”
The coroner’s report was worried about how seriously ill children could not get chest ultrasounds right away because there wasn’t a pediatric radiologist available outside of normal business hours. If needed, they would have to wait up to 48 hours. The hospital spokesperson said they were sorry about Iona’s death and that they are looking over the coroner’s suggestions and working closely with partners to figure out what needs to be done and then do it.
The hospital has until March 8 to react to the report, which stresses how important it is to have comprehensive and easy-to-reach medical services, especially for kids who need immediate care. The results make it clear how important it is to act quickly to stop tragedies like Iona’s from happening again. For example, giving medicines and making it easier for doctors to do tests is one way to do this.
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