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The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Firefighters called to blaze at Bristol maternity hospital
Firefighters have been called to a maternity hospital in Bristol after a blaze broke out. Emergency services were called to the scene at St Michael's hospital at about 4.30pm on Thursday. Pregnant women were removed from the site, according to reports, but the hospital had reopened by 7pm. The fire was extinguished within less than an hour, and the cause would be investigated, Avon fire and rescue service said. People have been urged to avoid the area. Avon fire and rescue service posted on Facebook saying: 'We're currently responding to a fire on Southwell Street, Bristol. We encourage people to avoid the area while we deal with the incident. Further updates will be issued.' The post was later updated to say: 'We can confirm that the fire has safely been extinguished. The cause of the fire will be investigated.' A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said: 'Police are supporting Avon fire and rescue colleagues at the scene of a fire at St Michael's hospital in Bristol, which was reported at about 4.30pm on Thursday 22 May. 'St Michael's Hill is closed to vehicles and pedestrians and people are urged to avoid the area if at all possible.' Prof Stuart Walker, the hospital managing director at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS foundation trust, said: 'Following a fire incident at St Michael's hospital this afternoon, we can confirm that the fire has safely been extinguished. 'Thank you to our amazing staff who worked closely with the fire service to partially evacuate the hospital. The hospital, including the delivery suite, has now reopened to women who need to access our services and people with appointments tomorrow should attend as planned.'
The Guardian
21-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
NHS failings and lawyers have destroyed memories of our baby, say parents
Losing Ben at the age of eight weeks in the paediatric intensive care unit of the Bristol royal hospital for children in the spring of 2015 was traumatic and heartbreaking for Jenny and Allyn Condon. In the 10 years since, they say their pain has not eased but, if anything, has been made more acute by the way they have been treated by a health trust as they campaigned to find out why Ben died. 'It has destroyed me,' said Jenny, who tried to kill herself and has post-traumatic stress syndrome. 'I'm a broken woman. I'm in constant fight or flight.' Speaking at the end of a two-week inquest that concluded on Friday – which laid bare failings in Ben's care and was often contradictory, complex and, as his parents see it, adversarial – Allyn said their precious memories of Ben had been taken away by the approach of the trust that runs the hospital. 'Up to the point he went into Bristol, Ben was a very well baby,' said Allyn, a former Olympic athlete. 'We had good memories of Ben. Over the 10 years since, they've evaporated those good memories, they've taken every good memory.' Ben was born prematurely on 17 February 2015. In April, he developed breathing difficulties and was taken to the children's hospital, where doctors diagnosed human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a respiratory infection. He declined rapidly, suffered two cardiac arrests on 17 April and died. The Condons were immediately told that no postmortem examination was needed as the cause of death was straightforward. Doctors recorded acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), hMPV and prematurity on his death certificate and his body was cremated. But several weeks after Ben died his parents were told that he also had a bacterial infection. A first inquest, in 2016, concluded that two respiratory illnesses and prematurity caused Ben's death, but the following year, after the Condons continued to press, the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS foundation trust admitted that a failure to give him antibiotics in a timely manner for the bacterial infection contributed to his death. In 2021, the NHS ombudsman said Ben died after 'a catalogue of failings' in his treatment and there was an attempt to 'deceive' his parents. The high court quashed the conclusions of the first inquest and a new inquest has taken place at Avon coroner's court near Bristol. On Friday, the coroner who has heard the second inquest, Robert Sowersby, backed the Condons' belief that the death certificate and conclusion of the first inquest were incomplete. He ruled that a pseudomonas bacterial infection, as well as the two respiratory illnesses and prematurity, caused his death. Sowersby, assistant coroner for Avon, stated that between 14 and 16 April consultants decided not to give Ben antibiotics. Sowersby said: 'I find Ben should have been given antibiotics by 16 April at the latest,' and added that if he had been given antibiotics it would have stopped the pseudomonas infection entering his bloodstream. The coroner said some medics had a 'patronising approach' to Ben's parents and that Jenny and Allyn were not told what was going on or why and were not involved in important decisions. He said it was 'hard' to understand a delay in telling them how sick Ben was. Sowersby said: 'A lot of mistakes were made. The actions of various employees who were involved in Ben's care or in subsequent investigations understandably aroused suspicion and contributed to the family's inability to believe anything they were being told.' He also criticised how some hospital staff gave evidence to the inquest, saying they had not done all they could to help him objectively assess what had happened. The coroner concluded: 'I hope that perhaps Ben's family can take some tiny element of pride in what they have achieved in their battle for the truth.' Jenny, 43, said: 'He should have had a postmortem. If that had been done properly none of this would have happened.' Troubling fresh evidence that surfaced during the inquest included the suggestion that tissue samples may have been taken from Ben after he died – his parents presume for testing – even though they were told that the cause of his death was so straightforward that no postmortem examination was needed. The Condons are to ask the Human Tissue Authority to investigate whether samples were taken and, if it believes they were, to refer their findings to the police. Jenny said: 'You're signing a death certificate, you're telling us there's no postmortem needed but you're doing your own investigations after death.' Allyn, 50, claimed that the trust continued to 'muddy the waters' during this second inquest. He and Jenny and have been upset by the benches of lawyers representing the trust and medical staff. 'It's been defence, defence, defence. And it's been awful. They have let the whole NHS down.' Mary Smith, head of inquests, human rights and fatal negligence at New South Law, who represented the family at the second inquest, said: 'For 10 years, this family has faced institutional defensiveness, withheld clinical records, and a disturbing lack of candour from the trust. 'The psychological harm caused by the trust's actions is profound – and entirely avoidable. These parents simply wanted the truth.'
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
No evidence that post-mortem samples were taken from baby, hospital boss says
There is no evidence that post-mortem samples were taken from a premature baby after his death, a hospital boss has said. Documents appear to suggest that four samples were sent for testing following the death of Ben Condon, who was two months old. Ben died in the paediatric intensive care unit of Bristol Children's Hospital on April 17 2015, six days after being admitted there with a respiratory illness. An inquest in June 2016 initially recorded Ben's death as being caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), metapneumovirus (hMPV) and prematurity. But the following year, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust admitted a failure to give Ben timely antibiotics for a pseudomonas bacterial infection had contributed to his death. High Court judges quashed the original inquest conclusion in 2021 and ordered a fresh hearing, which began at Avon Coroner's Court last week, following campaigning by Ben's parents Allyn and Jenny Condon. On Tuesday, Professor Stuart Walker, the manager director of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, gave evidence to the inquest. Robert Sowersby, assistant coroner for Avon, said: 'It can be a criminal offence to take anything from a deceased person without the proper authority. 'If post-mortem samples were taken, it might be a criminal offence. It would certainly be a matter for referral to the GMC (General Medical Council) if a doctor was involved. 'Is this something that the Trust was aware of as a possibility that this may have happened?' Prof Walker replied: 'I have not be made aware of any possibility that this was the case.' He continued: 'My understanding is that there has been extensive investigations looking into the circumstances in relation to that and no evidence has been discovered that post-mortem samples were taken.' Prof Walker told the hearing that the trust currently has 'very robust processes in this area'. Mr Sowersby said he had not come to any conclusions about whether samples were taken after Ben's death and it may not be appropriate for him to do so. The coroner added: 'I have seen evidence which, on the face of it, would suggest that post-mortem samples were taken and processed. 'I have heard additional evidence which offers a potential explanation for what may have happened and how it may have looked like post mortem sampling but may not, in fact, be post-mortem sampling. 'Whether you feel it is worth investigating, I leave to you. That's entirely a matter for you and the trust.' The coroner said that post-mortem investigations follow a framework, with the coroner's office at the top of that framework. He added: 'If it was the case that hospital staff, possibly hospital staff that are still there, were involved in post-mortem sampling then that circumvents the coroner's officer and that could be a concern.' During questioning by Jennifer MacLeod, representing Ben's family, Prof Walker said an email suggested a trainee doctor had taken one of the samples before Ben's death. Prof Walker added that samples taken during a patient's life may end up being processed after their death, as they are sent to a laboratory and tested. Ms MacLeod asked whether Prof Walker was aware of an email suggesting samples had been taken 'around the time' of Ben's death. Prof Walker said he was not. During the hearing on Tuesday, the coroner also asked about a document disclosed to his office and Ben's family one week before this inquest was due to begin. This included a document showing that a blood test marked 'urgent' had been ordered for Ben on April 15, with 'query sepsis' listed as the reason for the test. Mr Sowersby said: 'It was, on the face of it, quite a damning document if the argument is that there was no concern about a secondary infection until April 17.' Prof Walker replied that in his experience, test requests were usually 'scantily completed' with reasons put 'simply to justify the test'. He added: 'The query sepsis statement, in my opinion, reflected a desire to screen routinely for the risks of a secondary bacterial infection.' The inquest previously heard Ben's parents, Allyn and Jenny Condon, were told a post-mortem examination was not necessary following his death, leading to his body being cremated. Ben was born in February 2015 at 29 weeks gestation and spent seven weeks in neonatal intensive care at Southmead Hospital before being discharged home to Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on April 7. His parents took him to Weston General Hospital on April 10, after he became unwell following cold-like symptoms, and he was transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital the following day. The baby, who weighed 5lbs, was diagnosed with hMPV and later found to have ARDS. He suffered a cardiac arrest on April 17 and was pronounced dead at 9.07pm that day. The inquest continues.
The Independent
11-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Coroner gives legal warning to witness in fresh inquest for baby boy who died
A coroner has given a warning about potentially incriminating evidence at a fresh inquest into the death of a premature baby. Robert Sowersby, assistant coroner for Avon, was asking questions about samples that appear to have been taken following the death of Ben Condon, who died aged just two months. Ben died in the paediatric intensive care unit of Bristol Children's Hospital on April 17 2015, six days after being admitted there with a respiratory illness. An inquest in June 2016 initially recorded Ben's death as being caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), metapneumovirus (hMPV) and prematurity. But the following year, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust admitted a failure to give Ben timely antibiotics for a pseudomonas bacterial infection had contributed to his death. High Court judges quashed the original inquest conclusion in 2021 and ordered a fresh hearing, which began at Avon Coroner's Court last Monday, following campaigning by Ben's parents Allyn and Jenny Condon. On Tuesday, Mr Sowersby was questioning Dr Matthew Christopherson about a computer printout of investigations undertaken in respect to Ben. The coroner said: 'It appears from this document that there are some samples dated April 18 or April 19, so after Ben's death. 'Post-mortem sampling is regulated. I'm going to ask you questions about this.' The coroner told Dr Christopherson that the doctor did not need to answer his questions if he believed that he could incriminate himself. He asked: 'Did you take any post-mortem samples?' Dr Christopherson replied: 'No, I did not.' Mr Sowersby then asked: 'Did you know about any samples taken from Ben after his death?' Dr Christopherson said: 'No, I did not.' The inquest previously heard how Ben's parents Allyn and Jenny Condon were told a post-mortem examination was not necessary following his death, leading to his body being cremated. But they later discovered that four swabs had been taken from Ben's body and sent for analysis after his death. Jennifer MacLeod, representing the Condon family, asked Dr Christopherson about requests for screening of the swabs which included fluid and skin. Ms MacLeod said it was later stated by a different clinician, Dr Richard Brindle, in an internal email that the swab tests had been requested to 'add useful information about the cause of death'. Dr Christopherson repeated that he had no knowledge of the swabs, adding: 'The last time I saw Ben was with Mr and Mrs Condon as I left the department that evening.' Ben's parents earlier told the hearing they would not have cremated their son if they had known that the swabs had been taken, that he had a bacterial infection, or that he had been diagnosed with ARDS. Mr Sowersby queried why Dr Christopherson and a colleague had been 'confident' to record Ben's cause of death as ARDS caused by hMPV and prematurity, given concerns that Ben may have developed a secondary infection. Dr Christopherson replied: 'It was the sequence of events. He presented with hMPV, if he hadn't had that, he wouldn't have become sick, he wouldn't have developed ARDS and the subsequent complications of that.' He added that he was not aware of results identifying the pseudomonas infection at the time of Ben's death. When asked about the death certificate, he replied: 'The culture at the time was to complete, where we felt able to, the administrative sides of a child's death. 'This is because we recognised that the death of a child is tragic. The aim was to minimise as much distress as possible.' On Tuesday, the inquest heard that a document – disclosed to family lawyers shortly before the beginning of the fresh inquest – revealed concerns about a possible infection on April 15. The document showed that a blood test marked 'urgent' had been ordered for Ben on that date, with 'query sepsis' listed as the reason for the test. Mr Sowersby asked Dr Christopherson whether sepsis was a differential diagnosis – a list of conditions that could be behind a patient's symptoms – at that time. Dr Christopherson replied: 'I expect it was on the differential diagnosis list. I have no more specifics to add to that.' Ben was born in February 2015 at 29 weeks gestation and spent seven weeks in neonatal intensive care at Southmead Hospital before being discharged home to Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on April 7. His parents took him to Weston General Hospital on April 10, after he became unwell following cold-like symptoms, and he was transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital the following day. The baby, who weighed 5lbs, was diagnosed with hMPV and later found to have ARDS. He suffered a cardiac arrest on April 17 and was pronounced dead at 9.07pm that day. The inquest continues.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Baby not given antibiotics 'until after cardiac arrest'
A baby suffering with a respiratory illness was not given prescribed antibiotics until after he suffered the first of two cardiac arrests, an inquest heard. Ben Condon, who was born prematurely, was two months old when he died at Bristol Children's Hospital in April 2015. He was being treated in the intensive care unit for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and metapneumovirus (hMPV), which are similar to the common cold in adults. University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust has previously admitted a failure to give Ben antibiotics sooner contributed to his death. A previous inquest recorded Ben's death as being caused by ARDS, hMPV and prematurity, but this was quashed by the High Court after new evidence emerged. Ben's parents, Allyn and Jenny Condon, from Weston-super-Mare, fought hard for a second inquest which is under way at Avon Coroner's Court. The inquest heard Ben had developed a pseudomonas bacterial infection before his condition deteriorated and he died having suffered two cardiac arrests. Mr Condon previously claimed doctors "intentionally" did not disclose his son had the infection until after he was cremated. On Thursday, a junior doctor on the unit told the court she did not return to Ben with antibiotics after another patient needed urgent attention. Dr Jessica Spaull told the inquest she could not recall a conversation with a consultant about giving Ben antibiotics, other than it would be "reasonable to start". "I recall I was in the process of doing that [writing up the prescription] when another of my allocated patients… when their endocrinal tube was accidentally removed," she said. "I recall I went over to that bed in an emergency, and I recall that I was involved re-intubating that patient. "That meant I had not completed that prescription at that point." She realised the prescription had not been administered while completing a handover for the evening shift. "I recall looking at the drug chart and realising that the antibiotic prescribed earlier hadn't been given," she said. Jennifer MacLeod, representing the Condon family, asked Dr Spaull whether there was a "general consensus" among doctors that Ben's respiratory illness was caused by a virus, rather than a bacterial infection. Dr Spaull said in response she did not "and still does not have the expertise to have formulated ideas about ARDS causality" because of a lack of experience in that area. Ms MacLeod asked whether there was a "level of complacency" about how poorly Ben was. Dr Spaull said the question was hard for her to answer, because at the time she was a junior doctor and was only five weeks into her first placement on a paediatric intensive care unit. The inquest continues. Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Baby death detail 'kept back until after cremation' Mum tried to take own life after baby son's death Operator failed to send ambulance to baby, inquest hears HM Courts & Tribunals Service
