Hospital errors blamed for the death of baby Abigail Goodalll

News | Tue 22nd Dec, 2015

A coroner has ruled that hospital errors were to blame for the death of Abigail Goodall who died in October 2014 at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol.

Abigail was born with congenital heart disease and needed two catheter lines to be inserted into her heart shortly after she was born.  Following an x-ray it was decided that one of the lines needed to be repositioned but the neonatal staff repositioned the wrong line causing fluid to build up around Abigail’s heart and cause a fatal pericardial effusion.

Assistant Avon Coroner Robert Sowersby said the doctors has misinterpreted an x-ray and the two-day inquest heard that errors in Abigail’s care were not subsequently spotted.

The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion and said he would write a report highlighting the limitations of echocardiograms which some doctors incorrectly thought would have picked up the error

Cyrus Katrak was instructed to represent the family at the inquest by Slater & Gordon LLP.