Jack Adcock: Doctor and nurse given suspended sentences over six-year-old's death

A doctor and nurse whose mistakes led to the death of a six-year-old boy have been given suspended prison sentences.

Jack Adcock died at Leicester Royal Infirmary in February 2011 after being admitted with sickness and breathing difficulties.

Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba and agency nurse Isabel Amaro were convicted last month of manslaughter by gross negligence over his death.

On Monday, both were given two-year prison sentences, suspended for two years.

Bawa-Garba and Amaro were told by the judge that their respective careers were over because of their convictions.

Jack's mother Nicky Adcock said that "never in a million years" did she expect her son to die when he was taken to hospital.

ITV News correspondent Ben Chapman was in court for the sentencing:

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mrs Adcock said: "If I knew then what I know now I'd have never let them near my son. They neglected him from the minute he went in.

"It makes me so angry to think my son could still be here today if they had done their jobs right.

"I will never forgive myself for taking him there. I could have looked after him and cared for him better myself."

Jack's father Victor added in his own statement: "I wish I could forgive them but at the moment I can't. They will never feel the pain I feel.

"I had to watch my little man be laid to rest. I miss him every day and I will do for the rest of my life"

Dr Bawa-Garba, 38, failed to diagnose that Jack, who had Down's syndrome, was in septic shock as a result of pneumonia, then failed to monitor his condition properly. She also admitted during her trial that she had failed to recognise abnormal blood results.

When Jack went into cardiac arrest, she mixed him up with another boy who was the subject of a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order and told other medics to stop attempts to save him. Another, more junior, doctor spotted the error, but Jack died shortly afterwards.

The trial at Nottingham Crown Court heard he was already "past the point of no return" as a result of the earlier mistakes.

Dr Bawa-Garba admitted during the trial that “with the benefit of hindsight” Jack should have been admitted to intensive care as soon as he arrived at hospital, and should have been seen by a consultant.

She diagnosed him with gastroenteritis, and did not act on an x-ray showing his pneumonia for four hours. It was six hours after admission that he was finally prescribed antibiotics.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Nicol said: "Jack's young life was cut short prematurely. That was a tragedy. No sentence that I pass on you will alter it.

"There was no evidence that either of you neglected Jack because you were lazy or behaved for other selfish reasons.

"You both had other patients to attend to. The problem was that neither of you gave Jack the priority which this very sick boy deserved."

During the sentencing hearing, Dr Bawa-Garba's barrister outlined the damage to the doctor's reputation and pride, prompting Jack's mother to shout out: "What about my son?"

The court was told that nurse Amaro, 47, failed to monitor Jack’s condition properly, failed to take readings and kept records that were “woefully incomplete.”

Another nurse, ward sister Theresa Taylor, was cleared of manslaughter.