Sent home from hospital: Boy died of sepsis

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A four-year-old boy died of sepsis after being sent home from hospital three times in the week before his death, his parents have said.

Mum, Lindita Alushi, 44, and dad, Kastriot Klosi, 50, said doctors told them to treat their son Daniel with Calpol and Ibuprofen on two of the visits.

Sent home from hospital

On their fourth trip to the Royal Free Hospital, in Camden, London, Daniel was finally admitted, but died of sepsis just hours later.

More than a year after his death, Lindita and Kastriot hope his inquest, due to start tomorrow, will provide them with ‘vital answers’.

Lindita, a pharmacy assistant and qualified doctor in her native Albania, said the day Daniel died their ‘family changed forever’.

She added: ‘Our days are filled with distress, emptiness and sorrow. While time has moved on it has stood still for our family because of the many unanswered questions around what happened to Daniel.

‘Every day we wonder if more could have been done to save our little boy. We know that hearing everything again at the inquest will be incredibly difficult, but it’s something we need to do to honour our son and get the answers we’ve been seeking for more than a year.’

Paying tribute to her son, Lindita said:

“Daniel was the most adorable little boy and we were so blessed that he was our son. He loved cooking and baking with me.

‘He loved animals, listening to stories and playing with his friends.”

Daniel’s parents first took Daniel to A&E on Sunday, March 26 last year where he was sent home just a couple of hours later.

They returned on the Thursday night, concerned about his breathing. But doctors once again sent them home, and according to Lindita this time they were advised to give Daniel Calpol and ibuprofen.

On Saturday, April 1, the family returned to the hospital and, Lindita said, they were sent home with the same advice.

Later that day, at around 4pm, they returned to the same hospital. Daniel was admitted and died of sepsis – a life-threatening illness where the body attacks itself because of infection – a few hours later.

Lindita said: “We kept taking him to hospital and were really concerned about his condition but nothing can prepare you for being told your little boy has died.”

A Royal Free Hospital spokesperson said:

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Daniel and once again would like to send our sincere condolences to his family.

‘We have carried out an investigation into Daniel’s care and the findings were shared with his family. We await the outcome of the inquest.”

An inquest into Daniel’s death will be held at Poplar Coroner’s Court and will last around two days.

Medical negligence claims

If a loved one has passed away due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Our team of Medical Negligence specialist solicitors are happy to assist you with any enquiry or issue you might have. For your claim you will have a dedicated advisor who will see your claim through from start to finish.

Medical negligence

If a loved one has passed away due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Types of medical negligence

Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare professional fails to provide the standard of care expected, resulting in harm to the patient. Here are several common types of medical negligence:

Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis

Misdiagnosis: When a healthcare provider incorrectly identifies a patient’s condition, leading to inappropriate or ineffective treatment.
Delayed Diagnosis: When a condition is identified later than it should be, potentially worsening the patient’s health or reducing treatment effectiveness.

Medication Errors

Wrong Medication: Prescribing or administering the incorrect drug.
Dosage Errors: Giving too much or too little of a medication.

Surgical Errors

Surgical Mistakes: Errors made during surgery, such as operating on the wrong site or leaving instruments inside the patient.
Anesthesia Errors: Incorrect administration of anaesthesia, leading to complications.

Failure to Obtain Informed Consent

Informed Consent: Patients must be fully informed about the risks, benefits, and alternatives to a procedure or treatment. Failure to provide this information can be considered negligence.

Errors in Diagnosis and Testing

Failure to Order Tests: Not ordering necessary diagnostic tests or screenings.
Misinterpretation of Results: Incorrectly interpreting diagnostic test results, leading to inappropriate treatment decisions.

Negligent Care

Inadequate Treatment: Providing treatment that falls below accepted medical standards.
Failure to Address Patient Concerns: Ignoring or dismissing patient symptoms or complaints that should be addressed.

Failure to Refer

Referral Errors: Not referring a patient to a specialist when needed, leading to a delay in receiving appropriate care.

Birth Injuries

Errors During Delivery: Mistakes made during childbirth that result in harm to the baby or mother, such as improper use of delivery tools or failure to address complications.

How to make a claim?

If you feel that you or a loved one has been affected as a result of medical negligence, then you may be entitled to bring about a compensation claim.

The team at Oakwood Solicitors Ltd will be able to give you free advice on the prospects of your case and whether you would be eligible to make a claim.

Who can bring a claim?

The victim of the negligence can bring about a claim in their own right. However, it may also be the case that the victim has passed away as a result of the negligence or has suffered so severely that they are unable to bring about a claim as they no longer have the capacity.

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Our specialist team will be able to discuss whether you have a right to bring about a claim so if you or a loved one has been affected do not hesitate to contact us.

How long do I have to make a claim?

Claims of this nature are subject to a three-year limitation period. This means that claims have to be commenced within the Courts within three years of rather the date the negligent act occurred or the date you became aware that negligence had occurred.

In cases involving deceased victims, this limitation period commences from the date of death and in cases involving minors, the limitation period starts when they reach their 18th birthday.

The law surrounding limitation periods is complex. Our specialist team will be able to advise further. Please do not delay, contact our specialist team as soon as possible.

How much is my claim worth?

It is often difficult to value Negligence claims at their outset, given the complexities involved however we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:

General damages – An award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.

Special damages – An award for all of your out-of-pocket expenses such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings, and treatment costs both past and future.

This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific. Our specialist team will be able to advise further.

Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors Ltd?

We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years of experience running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence.

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.

Boy, 4, died of sepsis after being sent home from hospital three times