A nursery has admitted that its failures led to the death of a five-month-old boy who suffered an allergic reaction after being fed cereal containing milk. Thomas Egan, who was allergic to dairy products, died from anaphylactic shock at Jigsaw Day Nurseries in Milton Keynes in April 2002.
Jigsaw Day Nurseries Ltd pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court. The court heard that staff ignored instructions from Thomas's mother, Wendy Egan, that he should never be given dairy products and failed to check food labels before feeding him Farley's Sunrise Breakfast Cereal, which contained dried milk.
Barrister Barry Berlin, representing Milton Keynes Council, outlined a series of errors, including a lack of staff training on checking food labels, no risk assessments for children with allergies, and inadequate handover procedures. Thomas died 90 minutes after being dropped off at the nursery.
In a statement, Jigsaw chief executive Mike McKechnie expressed devastation over the death, saying staff were 'passionately committed people' who had experienced 'their own hell'. An inquest earlier this year concluded that neglect contributed to the death. The case has been sent to Aylesbury Crown Court for sentencing.
