Parents demand senior doctor exams for children after nine-year-old dies from sepsis

Nine-year-old Dylan Cope died of sepsis after being released from Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran with a flu diagnosis, despite an earlier GP referral indicating possible appendicitis. The inquest found that a paediatric nurse practitioner, Sam Hayden, discharged him without reading the referral and that a senior registrar’s examination could have averted the tragedy. Corinne and Laurence Cope are campaigning for mandatory senior doctor assessments of children before discharge from A&E. The coroner described the discharge as erroneous and below acceptable standards of care.

In response, the hospital has adopted a rule requiring senior doctor review for children referred by GPs before they leave. The case highlights the growing reliance on advanced nursing staff in NHS trusts, a practice the British Medical Association says puts patients at risk.