The parents of a two-year-old girl who died from an untreated brain condition say the failure of three London hospitals to formally apologise to them feels like a “slap in the face”.
Gareth and Rosalind Mason have waited four years for written apologies for what a coroner ruled was the “avoidable” death of daughter Alice.
After the inquest in 2013, The Royal Marsden, Kingston and St George’s hospitals admitted their negligence contributed to her death. But seven letters sent by the Mason family’s solicitor since last July have not led to a written apology.
Mr Mason, of Wimbledon, said: “It’s astonishing. I can’t understand how a simple apology in writing couldn’t be made. It seems there’s this culture in the medical establishment that they’re very reluctant about being wrong.
“But you have to be very clear what went wrong if you’re going to improve in the future. We feel Alice should not die in vain.”
Alice died in her parents’ arms in March 2011, from hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. That, January she had undergone successful surgery at St George’s in Tooting to remove a brain tumour, but she then became unwell.
Doctors at The Royal Marsden, where she was receiving cancer care, told her parents to attend Kingston if her condition deteriorated, as it was her local hospital for paediatric emergencies. Kingston took three days to scan her, and when her condition worsened, she was moved unconscious to St George’s, which can carry out neurosurgery. But the hospital downgraded her, admitting her to intensive care rather than taking her to theatre for emergency surgery.
West London coroner’s court was told there had been a “large number of serious failures” in care. Responsibility for treatment had been split under a “shared care” system that is now under review nationally.
The Masons are seeking compensation from the hospitals. Their solicitor Nicola Wainwright, of Leigh Day, said “All three trusts admitted care was negligent. Usually the next stage is a formal apology but that hasn’t happened.”
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The NHS Litigation Authority said: “All the trusts would wish to express their deepest sympathies to Alice’s family. As part of the investigation process, apologies have been made to the family. Given the ongoing claim no further comment can be made.”
