Alder Hey Hospital admits full responsibility for 24 failures that led to toddler's death
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
...
A hospital trust has taken full responsibility for 24 failures that led to the death of 21-month-old Eleanor Hazel Aldred-Owen.
She died at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital on 2 October 2023, following a routine operation for craniosynostosis, a birth defect affecting the skull. An abnormal chest X-ray was not flagged, leading to a cardiac arrest and unsurvivable brain injury.
Eleanor's parents, from Mold, Flintshire, have described living with "unbearable" guilt and trauma since their daughter's death.
Alder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged their "tragic" death should not have occurred.
Chaz, Eleanor's dad, said:
"Not knowing how or why Eleanor died was the key factors... The real victory is making sure what happened to Eleanor doesn't happen to anyone else."
He added that while they understood it was neglectful, the extent of it was not clear at the time.
The trust admitted "gross neglect" after an investigation revealed 24 failings in care, including:
-
Incorrect calculation of Eleanor's Pediatric Early Warning System score.
-
Undocumented use of AIRVO, a high-flow humidified oxygen system.
-
Failure to flag her abnormal chest X-ray.
Eleanor's family stated:
"Eleanor's death was preventable... As parents, the guilt is unbearable..."
They acknowledged the trust's changes but emphasized the need for their consistent implementation and review.