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Boy, 3, died after glitch in new NHS computer system, inquest told

A three-year-old boy died after a glitch in a new NHS computer system left him without vital check-ups for 20 months, an inquest heard. Samuel Starr underwent complex cardiac surgery aged nine months at the scandal-hit Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. He recovered and was due to have regular check-up appointments at a different hospital nearer his home in Frome. Samuel was supposed to have further treatment at the Paediatric Cardiac Clinic at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. But a new computer system, called CM Millenium, failed to generate appointment slots and the youngster did not receive a crucial follow-up scan for 20 months. During that time his heart had deteriorated and when he finally got an appointment his patents, Catherine Holley and Paul Starr, were told Samuel needed further surgery. But complications during the second op meant the youngster suffered a stroke and a cardiac arrest. With a second cardiac arrest imminent Samuel's parents were advised to stop the treatment and Samuel died the same day, the inquest in Flax Bourton heard. Mother Catherine told the inquest how her son quickly deteriorated from a "happy and healthy" young boy after the second op on August 7, 2012. She said: "Just hours before his operation Samuel was dancing around the ward and telling the nurses all about Spiderman - we had to remind him to quieten down. "Many of the nurses on the ward could not believe how energetic he was considering the surgery he was about to have - he was a happy and healthy boy. "On the 9th of August they began bringing Samuel out of sedation and his left arm started flailing. I was then asked to leave the hospital ward so they could do the evening rounds. "I was excited to return as I expected him to have made even more of a recovery but when we went back to the ward we were told Samuel had had a stroke and several cardiac arrests. "On the 6th September we were told that a second cardiac arrest was imminent and that we should consider withdrawing treatment. "So we agreed and we read him stories and sang him songs whilst they stopped giving him drugs. Our little boy died in our arms." Samuel was born with a restricted pulmonary artery and underwent surgery at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. But the inquest heard after his first surgery the computer glitch meant his appointments became "sporadic" and his parents often had to chase the hospital over dates. It meant the youngster did not have vital scans for more than 20 months - in which time his heart had seriously deteriorated. He visited a Dr Tometzki in November 2010, for a regular check-up and echo scan. He was told to return six months later, so in April 2011 he visited the cardiologist who was surprised to see him. The doctor told Samuel's parents he hadn't expected to see the youngster and swiftly moved them on without performing an echo scan. But despite expecting to return six months later as instructed, they were not given an appointment until 14 months later. He underwent surgery at Bristol Children's Hospital on August 7, 2012. Distraught Catherine said she begged a district nurse to help but she still struggled to get vital appointments at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. Reading a statement, she said: "We were expecting an appointment in the New Year (2011) - something we took to mean January - but we still hadn't received one by March. "We got Claire, our community nurse, to call the hospital. She called them on the 12th March, 20th March, 8th May, 28th May and the 29th May. "We were then given an appointment for 14th June but we already had commitments then so it was rescheduled for 21st June. When we got there Dr Tometzki said that he had expected to see us a lot earlier than this. "After doing an echo scan he told us he didn't want to shock us but he wanted Samuel to have heart surgery that spring. We were shocked, we hadn't been expecting this. It wasn't meant to happen. "He quickly made it clear the appointment was over and we left dazed and confused - not knowing what was going on." The inquest continues.

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Boy, 3, died after glitch in new NHS computer system, inquest told


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