Nurse faces misconduct hearing over Shropshire boy’s death
A hospital sister accused of changing the medical notes of a teenage boy who died after a fall has faced the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Sheena Hughes is accused of misconduct over her actions surrounding the death of Charlie Davies, who suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and who fell while getting undressed in his bedroom.
The 15-year-old suffered a fractured femur which, in turn, led to him developing a condition that ultimately led to his death.
Ms Hughes faced the misconduct hearing at the Nursing and Midwifery Council in London.
John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, heard at an inquest held in 2015 that a doctor missed the fracture while Ms Hughes altered Charlie’s notes to hide that a student nurse had failed to inform her that his condition was deteriorating.
The inquest, at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, heard that Charlie, of Balmer Crescent, Welshampton, fell on April 29 2015. He was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and later to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen.
By this stage he had already developed fat embolism syndrome, which led to his lungs becoming congested and heart failing.
While in hospital, Charlie’s pulse, heart rate and oxygen saturation levels were monitored. These were taken by a student nurse. But despite Charlie’s oxygen saturation level falling to a dangerously low 87 per cent no alarm was raised.
Ms Hughes told the 2015 inquest she had been aware that Charlie was on the ward but had not been made aware that his levels had initially fallen. It was only when his condition deteriorated further that he was transferred to the Royal Stoke Hospital where he died the following day.
Four days later Sister Hughes changed the notes to read that his oxygen level was recorded at 97 per cent rather than at 87 per cent. She said she did this because she panicked and was under a great deal of stress. Mr Ellery recorded a conclusion of accidental death but described the changing of notes as a "serious matter".
Shortcomings surrounding Charlie's death have led to new procedures being implemented at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital.
