Five-week-old baby dies from sepsis after being sent home from hospital with routine infection

George Martin
Updated

A five-week-old baby died from sepsis after being sent home from hospital twice with what doctors thought was a common infection.

Luchii Gavrilescu was twice discharged from hospital by medics at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, Kent - despite many of his symptoms pointing to sepsis.

Luchii Gavrilescu died from sepsis
Luchii Gavrilescu died from sepsis on November 29 (SWNS)

On his final visit to the hospital Luchii and his mother were forced to wait six hours to be seen by a consultant - by which point it was too late to save his life.

An investigation revealed that the baby's death was "avoidable".

Luchii with her mother Laura Cooke. (SWNS)
Luchii with his mother Laura Cooke. (SWNS)

Now Luchii's mother, Laura Cooke, has described the horrifying hours that led up to her son's death, and demanded a public apology from the hospital's trust.

She first took Luchii to A&E after struggling to get a doctor’s appointment on 29 November, 2018, and again on 3 December.

But she was told both times that Luchii was suffering from a routine infection despite the infant suffering breathing difficulties and having developed a rash.

Three days after Luchii’s second visit to A&E, he died at the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by sepsis.

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The devastated mother believes multiple mistakes were made in the care provided to Luchii, telling how she reached breaking point on the morning of his death on 6 December.

The 29-year-old, who has two other children, said there were several delays on the night Luchii was taken to hospital for the final time.

It was only when the stricken boy arrived on a children's ward - after over four hours of waiting for a bed - that a doctor saw just how ill he was. Just 20 minutes later, he went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.

Devastated Ms Cooke said: "I just sat with him laying there in A&E, holding his hand as we waited for a bed on the children's ward and I now know that he was dying, his organs were shutting down. This will haunt us all forever."

The hospital later admitted Luchii's death was "avoidable". (SWNS)
The hospital later admitted Luchii's death was "avoidable". (SWNS)

An investigation was launched and, during a meeting with the family, lead investigator Dr Paul Stevens, medical director of East Kent Hospitals, admitted Luchii's death was avoidable.

The Trust's incident report says Luchii's condition was "underestimated" and should have involved paediatric and intensive care consultants at an earlier stage.

An East Kent Hospitals spokesman said: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Luchii’s family, and we are extremely sorry that they have suffered such a devastating loss.

"We apologise that they have concerns about Luchii’s care. We have listened carefully to those concerns and we will work as quickly as we can to be able to give them the answers they need.

"Our investigation into Luchii’s care is ongoing and we will continue to involve his family as it progresses. A dedicated key worker is supporting Luchii’s family and we have referred Luchii’s death to the coroner."