A grim report from a coroner's inquest has shed light on how Tamworth Hospital in regional New South Wales failed to accurately diagnose a toddler's brain bleed, leading to his death eight days after discharge.
The case of Baylen Pendergast, a 21-month-old boy, has raised serious concerns about the hospital's patient care standards, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
Deputy Coroner Derek Lee presented the unsettling findings in connection with the mysterious death of Baylen Pendergast on June 23. On November 22, 2013, Baylen's mother, Zoe Merlin, brought him to Tamworth Hospital, citing symptoms of vomiting and bruising on his face, shins, forearms, and chest after he fell from his bed four days prior. Notably, Baylen also had a cut near his right eye.
Despite undergoing a CT scan, hospital personnel overlooked the toddler's head injuries and did not schedule a critical follow-up MRI. According to Coroner Lee, the hospital staff's failure to identify and report Baylen's injuries was a crucial misstep, which ultimately led to his discharge.
"The cause of Baylen's death was complications of blunt head injury resulting from at least two separate acts of trauma. It is most likely that these acts of trauma occurred on 17 and 28 November 2013," Coroner Lee stated, adding that "the injuries were the result of the application of significant force by another person or persons."
The CT scan was reviewed by an overseas radiographer who did not find any fractures or hemorrhages but suggested an MRI.
This advice, along with concerns from a neurosurgical registrar at John Hunter Hospital, was ignored, and Baylen was discharged on November 24. Later, Baylen was found unconscious and was rushed back to the hospital, eventually passing away on November 30 at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
Yvonne Patricks, General Manager of Tamworth Hospital, expressed regret and issued an apology in response to the coroner's report, stating that the hospital had failed to provide Baylen with adequate care.
She pledged continued efforts to improve the hospital's care standards and highlighted training reforms undertaken since the 2013 incident.
The report from the coroner also found that Tamworth Hospital doctors neglected to adhere to child protection policy, which mandates the reporting of any suspicion of child abuse. Consequently, changes were implemented to child protection training at Tamworth Hospital in 2018.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Lina Iles argued during the inquest that the injuries could not have occurred due to a single fall, corroborating the coroner's findings that Baylen's injuries were unlikely to be accidental. Meanwhile, police in New South Wales are continuing their investigation into Baylen's death.
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