Coroner to rule on toddler's meningitis death

A coroner will today deliver his ruling in the case of a toddler whom hospital staff took more than 13 hours to diagnose with a form of meningitis.

Rhys Brady was admitted to Daisy Hill Hospital, Co Down at around 5pm on May 15 last year but he was not given potentially life-saving antibiotics until the following morning.

The 17-month-old infant was then transferred to the Royal Sick Children’s Hospital in Belfast but died in the early hours of May 17.

During three days of evidence at Belfast Coroner’s Court Rhys’ mother, Deborah Brady, claimed medical staff were negligent in failing to diagnose her son with meningococcal septicaemia in the critical hours before his condition deteriorated.

The toddler was taken to Daisy Hill after he attended an out-of-hours surgery where he was found to have a rash developing and an accelerated heartbeat.

On the opening day of the inquest an independent expert identified the critical point at which antibiotics should have been administered as 1am on May 16.

But the toddler was not diagnosed until 6.30am – more than 13 hours after he was admitted.

The inquest also heard an inexperienced doctor thought a stomach rash on Rhys was a scratch mark or an insect bite.

Dr Sureshchandra Madaiah admitted he was puzzled by the raised spot on the toddler’s stomach.

Dr Madaiah, who was on duty overnight, said the centre of the spot was non-blanching – a symptom of the virus – but the periphery was blanching.

The inquest also heard Dr Madaiah did not suspect Rhys had meningococcal septicaemia; did not consider giving the toddler antibiotics; and did not deem it necessary to contact the consultant paediatrician, Dr James Hughes.

Coroner John Leckey said his findings would be circulated to senior figures with responsibility for the NHS.

Mr Leckey said: “I will be sending my reports to the (health) minister and the Chief Medical Officer.

“I think all the evidence we have had merits a critical look at what is available and what is happening beyond the walls of the children’s hospital.”

The coroner adjourned the inquest last week and will deliver his ruling this morning.