Baby boy collapses & dies just 3 days after being sent home from hospital by doctor who made parents feel ‘over anxious’

A BABY boy collapsed and died just 3 days after being sent home from hospital by a doctor who made parents feel “over anxious”, an inquest heard.

Freddie Beaumont fell critically ill at his family home in Worsley, Manchester, only three weeks after his first birthday.

The youngster was rushed to hospital after going into cardiac arrest but sadly could not be saved.

Following his death, a post-mortem found Freddie had a form of Strep A infection.

The bacteria can cause a range of illnesses, including sore throats, skin infections and scarlet fever.

However, in rare cases, the bacteria can trigger invasive Group Strep A disease, which can prove life-threatening and even fatal.

Only days earlier, Freddie had been referred to the paediatric department of the Salford Royal Hospital – but he was discharged a few hours later.

An inquest heard how a doctor said he was suffering from bronchiolitis, a common lung infection.

Freddie’s devastated mum told Bolton Coroner’s Court his “symptoms were not taken seriously” during his first visit to Salford Royal, even though “it was clear things weren’t right”.

Freddie is the son of project manager Mark Beaumont and operations director Aimee Beaumont.

Giving evidence, Aimee said he had previously had been in hospital with bronchiolitis.

Freddie was given antibiotics, and had follow-up visits from nurses.

He could sound “quite crackly, quite often” and his chest was a “constant concern”, his heartbroken mother said.

In the days before his death, he first appeared unwell after attending nursery on Friday, November 18, 2022, the hearing was told.

The practitioner who spoke to them suggested they went to Salford Royal so he could be checked over and booked them an appointment with a GP based there.

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During the consultation, the doctor mentioned Freddie seemed to be “grunting” and that “it can mean they are over-working their breathing”, Mrs Beaumont said.

He referred Freddie to the hospital’s paediatric unit, known as the Panda Unit.

But Mrs Beaumont said that on the unit, herself and her husband were made to feel as if they were “over-anxious parents being fussy when we should have been a bit more relaxed”.

Before being discharged, Freddie was seen by paediatric consultant Dr Raja Syahanee, who Mrs Beaumont said had told her that he had “standard bronchiolitis” and that it was “nothing out of the ordinary”.

Mrs Beaumont told the court: “She made out as if we were being a bit over-anxious about something that is quite common.

“He had had it before, and I said it was a lot worse. We wanted some antibiotics or something that may help him feel a bit better, when we knew it was quite a serious case.

“We didn’t think that was being taken seriously.”

No blood test was carried out, the hearing was told.

The family “didn’t think he should have been discharged” and that he “should have been kept in for observation and possibly oxygen” she said.

But Freddie’s mum and dad were a “bit panicked” by the decision to send them home, the jury were told.

Mrs Beaumont said: “As parents, you are always told you know your child best.

“He was worse than he had been with Bronchiolitis in the past, and the doctor had mentioned he had heard the grunting, and it wasn’t taken seriously.”

Asked what the Dr Syahanee’s response was to the suggestion Freddie was “grunting”, Ms Beaumont said: “There wasn’t really any reaction. I think her mind was already made up with that it was bronchiolitis.”

TRAGIC TOT

The devastated mother also said that no “safety netting advice” was given, the inquest heard.

On Tuesday, November 22, Freddie stirred around 9.30am before Mrs Beaumont said she woke him at around 11.30am for a feed.

He appeared pale and his “eyes began rolling in his head”, leading her to fear he may be choking, she said.

She rang 999 but he stopped breathing whilst she was on the line, and she commenced paediatric CPR until paramedics arrived.

He was rushed to Salford Royal but despite extensive resuscitation attempts, he was declared dead at 12:51pm.

Mrs Beaumont added: “He was a very happy, smiley little boy. I did try to explain he will smile at you now, but he’s not right. His chest was a ‘lot worse than we had ever heard it.

“And his up and down periods were a lot more dramatic than they had been before.”

In the hours following his discharge, Freddie “didn’t seem himself” and was “just off”, Mrs Beaumont said.

A post-mortem, carried out by pathologist, Dr Melanie Newbould, confirmed his death as being the result of acute empyema and pneumonia (Group A hemolytic Streptococcus).

Mrs Beaumont said they “wanted to know why Freddie died.”

She said questions they would like to see answered in the inquest concerned “further tests, the prescription of antibiotics, monitoring and whether he should have been kept in hospital in all the circumstances.”

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