Tragic Loss of Ten-Day-Old Baby Following Hospital Procedure
A ten-day-old baby girl, Willow Rose Courtney-Thompson, died from E.Coli sepsis after a biopsy was performed without her parents' proper consent, a coroner's court has heard. Willow was born prematurely at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on 12 October last year.
Catalogue of Failures in Care Revealed at Inquest
Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court was told that on 21 October, Willow underwent a suction rectal biopsy to rule out the rare bowel condition Hirschsprung’s disease. Her mother, Lauren, stated that medical staff "proceeded while I was momentarily taking a phone call from my GP", meaning the vital procedure was carried out without informed consent. The inquest heard the biopsy took place in a treatment room that lacked privacy and was subject to frequent interruptions.
Further critical errors were identified. Willow did not receive the standard pre-procedure antibiotics designed to prevent infection; instead, she was given two doses only after the biopsy had been completed. Just ten hours after the procedure, she was discharged home. She quickly became unwell, refused to feed, and was found unresponsive at her home in Brackley, Northamptonshire, the following day. Despite being rushed back to hospital, she could not be saved.
Trust Apologises as Parents Seek Lasting Change
The coroner concluded that Willow would have survived had she been monitored in hospital for 24 hours after her biopsy, as subtle signs of sepsis might then have been identified and treated. The inquest also highlighted a fatal miscommunication between surgical and neonatal teams, with each assuming the other was responsible for her post-operative care.
Willow's heartbroken parents, Joseph and Lauren Courtney-Thompson, aged 28 and 27, said they hope lessons will be learned to prevent another family enduring such a tragedy. Lauren described Willow as a "sassy, cheeky but content little girl" who touched many hearts in her short life.
Following the inquest, Professor Andrew Brent, Chief Medical Officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, offered an unreserved apology. He acknowledged "critical shortfalls" in Willow's care and confirmed that the Trust has made changes to its clinical practice to prevent a similar incident.
