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Right to Life Cases David Glass 13 year old, severely disabled. He was admitted to St. Mary´s Hospital, Portsmouth with a chest infection. Instead of following a curative route, diamorphine was administered to David on 20 & 21 October 1998, without his mother´s consent or an authorising court order, in the full knowledge of the medical professionals concerned, that diamorphine would cause his death. On 21 October, family members managed to resuscitate him. Afterwards a ´Do Not Resuscitate´ notice was put on his notes – against the wishes of his mother. She took him home and he has been successfully treated by his GP despite the predictions of the hospital doctors that David was dying. He is still alive and enjoying his normal role within a loving family. Both a Judicial Review and appeal were refused by the High Courts. The Appeal Court suggested that the best way forward was for the family and the hospital to agree a course of action in David´s best interests. Mrs. Glass is now taking a case of manslaughter against the hospital. Ysgol Grug Glas Special School. A new Head Teacher changed the care plans for some of the children attending the school, in particular one young girl whom she designated ´terminally ill´. She requested the nurse to wait three minutes before making any attempts to resuscitate. She also asked for permission to introduce a ´Do Not Resuscitate Policy´. This has been refused – DNR notices are only applicable in a hospital setting. There have been other allegations by parents over the lack of support for children´s medical conditions or observance of parental request’s to allow their child to be exempt from trips on the coach because it gave her so much pain. Stephen Hill. A young man of 26 with spina bifida. He was a healthy, active wheelchair user attending a college for disabled students in Bedfordshire run by the Shaftesbury Society. On the evening of October 9, 1995 he complained of feeling ill. At 7.30 the following morning he complained of severe headache, neck pains and photophobia. The doctor diagnosed urine infection and prescribed mild antibiotics. Stephen was unable to swallow pills. The GP stated he was told there was liquid medication on the premises (later denied by staff), he assumed medication would begin straight away. At 9.20 Stephen was given soluble panadol for the ´splitting headache´. Noon/I.00 pm, suspected tonsilitis was diagnosed. Written evidence shows that the antibiotic was not administered until 1.00 pm. At 4.30 the parents were informed that he had tonsilitis but there was nothing to worry about. At 5.05 he had breathing difficulties which were reported to the Nurse on call. She arrived ten minutes later at 5.15. Stephen died at 5.18. The nurse afterwards stated that she ´did not consider resuscitation due to the nature of Stephen´s physical disabilities and the suddenness of his death´. Pneumonia was given as the cause of death. Since then the parents have been denied access to records, times have been changed and heresay evidence accepted as fact. The parents were unaware that there was a DNR notice on Stephen. If there was, that was unlawful but it cannot be confirmed because they cannot see the notes. The Nurse was acting against her professional code of conduct by making no attempt to resuscitate. Calls for an independent inquiry by the parents have been refused by social services and the college. The parents are now filing a formal complaint against the nurse with the police. Donnellon Children. These two children both have a very rare condition which was first apparent in the eldest, a bright little girl, when she was 21/2 years old. She was diagnosed by a neurologist who continued to look after her although she required a bio-chemist as it is primarily a metabolic condition. At that stage the parents knew very little and believed the consultants. Her younger brother was also diagnosed with the condition at birth. The parents were told that there would probably be no further signs until puberty and were given no help. Nor were they told that it was vital that the children had a high protein diet and never fasted. The daughter went in an out of hospital and by 71/2 was very thin. By 9 she was very ill but the hospital refused to refer to a specialist in the condition. Both children were then seen by another neurologist – a Dr. Ritty – who said in writing that both children were going to die. The girl did do so very shortly. She died of suffocation in hospital because she was too weak to turn over. She had 98% oxygen saturation. An independent review was held and some things were upheld but the doctor´s views were accepted and there were no repercussions. The mother was personally discredited as being ´difficult´. The son´s condition has been made worse by the treatment but in January 1998 was transferred to another consultant. But the mother has serious concerns that he will suffer because of the actions of his parents. They have contacted the Ombudsman, GMC and Health Select Committee. There are many other parents of disabled children who have real concerns about this particular neurologist – some of them airing their views on the internet. Both children have high IQs and the education authority have been very supportive and helpful with both children. Duke Adams 10 year old Jamaican. Autistic with no speech. Duke has lived with his grandmother since he was 2 years old because his mother abused him. Mrs. Adams found it increasingly difficult to look after him as he is a big boy. Social Services and Education could not find suitable support for him so last November (1998) his grandmother reluctantly allowed him to go into residential care in Worcestershire. Mrs. Adams travelled to see him every weekend and he was going to come home for the school holidays. She was concerned that there were no black staff. After 2 weeks at the school Mrs Adams received a phone call to say that, when he was having a shower, they had noticed bad bruising though they did not know why. Duke is non-violent, is obsessed with eating and mostly just rocks and eats. He shared a room with a similar personality. Mrs. Adams told the staff that he was showing his signs for unhappiness. Several weeks later he had a black eye. When he came home for Christmas he was a very confused and trouble child. Also had a swollen thumb. At review on March 29, 1999 staff acknowledged that he was crying a lot. Thought it may be because they were cutting down his food intake. Otherwise everything was apparently OK. Mrs. Adams then took him home for a weekend and saw bruises all over him. Phoned school and social worker. On April 1 saw doctor who discovered massive all over bruising. A blood test showed that his blood did not clot easily. Social service agreed that this was a child-protection case. Crown Prosecution Service refused to take it any further because Duke cannot communicate. Duke is back with his Grandmother who is looking for another place to put him but has also been agreed legal aid to take Duke’s case further.
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