New inquest to be held over death of three-year-old boy

The parents of a three-year-old boy who died at Stafford Hospital have been told there will be a new inquest into what caused his death.

Jonnie Meek was admitted to the children's ward for a routine appointment in August 2014, but died hours later.

The independent review found that Jonnie's reaction to the milk feed,although not conclusively the cause of death, was the "most plausible"explanation considering all the possible unlikely events.

Jonnie had a rare genetic condition - De Grouchy Syndrome - and had to be fed through a tube in his stomach.

He died on 11 August 2014 during a planned admission to the former Stafford Hospital, which was part of the former Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.

He had been admitted to introduce a new milk formula in his feed.

The report by Dr Martin Farrier, a consultant paediatrician, was commissioned by Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group in an attempt to provide a resolution to a number of questions raised by Jonnie’s family.

The review found the following:

• Jonnie’s reaction to the new milk feed was a “very unlikely” event which could not have been predicted by the medical staff caring for him

• It cannot be conclusively stated that his reaction to the milk feed was the cause of Jonnie’s death, but Dr Farrier regards it as the “most plausible” of a range of unlikely events

• The response of the medical staff to Jonnie’s deterioration was “exceptionally rapid” and a “very experienced team” attempted resuscitation.

• Given the conclusion reached by the inquest (that Jonnie died of “pneumonia natural causes”) Dr Farrier recommends that a new inquest should be held.

• Dr Farrier also observes that Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust offered a “poor” response to the family’s concerns and did not respond adequately to them.