Tragic Death of Ten-Day-Old Baby Following Hospital Procedure
A ten-day-old baby girl died from sepsis after medical staff at an Oxford hospital carried out a biopsy without obtaining proper consent from her parents, a coroner's court has heard. Willow Rose Courtney-Thompson was born prematurely at the John Radcliffe Hospital on 12 October last year.
On 21 October, she underwent a suction rectal biopsy to test for the rare bowel condition Hirschsprung's disease. Medics performed this procedure without the correct consent from Willow's parents, Joseph and Lauren Courtney-Thompson. Her mother, Lauren, 27, stated that staff 'proceeded while I was momentarily taking a phone call from my GP'.
Catalogue of Hospital Failings Revealed
Oxfordshire Coroner's Court was told of a series of critical errors that contributed to the infant's death. The biopsy was performed in a treatment room that lacked privacy and dignity and was subject to frequent interruptions. Crucially, Willow did not receive the standard pre-procedure antibiotics designed to prevent infection; instead, she was given two doses only after the fact.
Just ten hours after the procedure, Willow was discharged home. She quickly became very unwell and refused to feed. The following day, she was found unresponsive at her family home in Brackley, Northamptonshire. Her parents dialled 999, and she was rushed back to hospital, where she died from E.Coli sepsis as a direct result of the biopsy.
Coroner's Findings and Family's Heartbreak
The inquest concluded that Willow would have survived had she been monitored in hospital for 24 hours after the biopsy. The coroner stated that subtle signs of sepsis might have been identified and treated earlier. There was also confusion between the surgical and neonatal teams; surgeons expected overnight observation, but the neonatal team discharged her.
In a poignant tribute, her heartbroken parents described Willow as a 'sassy, cheeky but content little girl' who was 'adorable and never fussed'. They said, 'The hurt and pain we wake with each day over Willow's death is still as strong now as it was at the time she passed away.' They hope that by speaking out, they can help prevent a similar tragedy for another family.
The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust admitted a breach of duty, acknowledging failures in providing appropriate antibiotics, discharging Willow too early, and not following a formal consent process. The Trust's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Andrew Brent, offered an 'unreserved apology' for the 'critical shortfalls' in her care.
