Nia Frobisher represents the family of four-year-old Daniel Klosi at the inquest into his death.

Nia represented the family of four-year-old Daniel Klosi at the inquest following his tragic death by sepsis in April 2023 at the Royal Free Hospital, London.

Daniel’s parents had taken him to the hospital’s emergency department on four occasions in the week of his death, including twice on his final day of life. Daniel’s family were repeatedly told that he had a likely viral infection, and blood tests and chest x-rays were not performed until late on his final admission. By his fourth attendance the septic process had already begun.

Senior Coroner Hassell reached a narrative conclusion. She found that there were several failures in the care provided to Daniel, including, inter alia, a failure to review his medical records on the third attendance; a lack of recognition of the different ways in which a neuro-divergent septic child can present; and an inability to obtain observations from Daniel not being recognised as requiring escalation.

Crucially, the Coroner considered on the third attendance that there was a failure to appreciate that Daniel’s illness had been ongoing for a week and that this was the third time he had been taken to the emergency department by his parents. As a consequence, they failed to undertake blood tests. Had these been done, they would have demonstrated Daniel’s very elevated C-reactive protein levels (a marker for inflammation) and prompted them to administer antibiotics which would have saved his life. Daniel’s tragic death was found to be avoidable.

Senior Coroner Hassell has also indicated her intention to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, which is awaited.

The case has been widely reported here: https://lnkd.in/eBM8Ey8d and https://lnkd.in/e6XCiTyT.

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