Hospital apologises after boy's death from sepsis

The parents of a four-year-old boy who died of sepsis have received an apology and an undisclosed financial settlement from the north London hospital where he was taken four times in a week.

Daniel Klosi, who had autism, died at the Royal Free Hospital in Camden on 2 April 2023 after his symptoms were missed by doctors on three previous visits.

His mother, Lindita Alushi, a qualified doctor from Albania, told BBC London the apology and settlement "can never make up for the death of a child", but she was "relieved" the hospital acknowledged mistakes were made in Daniel's care.

An inquest at East London Coroner's Court heard Ms Alushi's son was "probably" septic when he was seen by medical staff in the hours before he died.

The coroner ruled that while doctors missed a sepsis diagnosis for Daniel, the trust was not neglectful in its care.

Sepsis is when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs.

Ms Alushi, who lives in Kilburn, said that while the investigation into her son's care had highlighted individual and systemic failures, "basically it was only one thing that led to Daniel's death, we were not heard as parents".

She said: "Our concerns were dismissed. Observations were not taken and we were left to wait for hours, especially on the last visit even though Daniel was deteriorating in the waiting area. He was seen too late."

During the inquest, the coroner noted Daniel Klosi came in with an "atypical presentation of sepsis" and there was a "lack of understanding" of how to view the needs of a neurodivergent child.

Ms Alushi said she hoped "lessons can be learned" and added "Such avoidable deaths should not be happening."            

A spokesperson for the hospital said they were "deeply sorry that Daniel died while under our care" and that measures had been put in place to improve. 

The Royal Free London Trust spokesperson said: "Following a thorough investigation, we identified a number of areas for improvement, and measures were taken to immediately address these. 

"This included improving training and awareness for all of our staff, particularly in relation to children who repeatedly visit our emergency departments; how we care for children with learning disabilities and the importance of listening to parents and carers when they raise concerns."

How to spot sepsis in young children:

The NHS advises to go to A&E or call 999 if a child aged under 5 has an infection and shows any of these signs:

• Mottled, bluish or pale skin
• Very lethargic or difficult to wake
• Feels abnormally cold to touch
• Rash that doesn't fade when pressed
• Fit or convulsion
• Struggling to breathe, grunting with every breath, or breathing very fast
• Unable to say more than a few words at a time
• Pauses in breathing
• Vomiting green, bloody, or black vomit
• Unresponsive, very irritable, floppy, or showing no interest in anything
• Bulging soft spot on a baby's head
• Weak, whining, or continuous crying in a young child
• Older child with confusion or neck stiffness (difficulty touching chin to chest)