A DATE has finally been set for an inquest in to the death of a baby who contracted MRSA at Ipswich Hospital, it can be revealed today.The three-day inquest in to the death of Luke Day is likely to begin on March 12 and last for three days, but a spokesman for the coroner's office said they are waiting for final confirmation of the witnesses.
A DATE has finally been set for an inquest in to the death of a baby who contracted MRSA at Ipswich Hospital, it can be revealed today.
The three-day inquest in to the death of Luke Day is likely to begin on March 12 and last for three days, but a spokesman for the coroner's office said they are waiting for final confirmation of the witnesses.
Two-day-old Luke was thought to be the country's youngest victim of the superbug when he died at the hospital in February 2005.
He was born on February 2, weighing 7lb 7oz, and showed no signs of ill health but 36 hours later he died after contracting septicaemia, believed to have been caused by MRSA.
The tragedy made national headlines after his family had to fight to get MRSA recorded as the cause of his death on his death certificate.
However, following an investigation by the hospital it was concluded that MRSA may not have been the cause of death, although there were failings in his care.
His father Kevin Fenton and mother Glynis Day, both of Woodbridge, campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of the killer bug in a bid to prevent others suffering in the same way.
In March 2005 The Evening Star took the family to Westminster to present a letter for Tony Blair to Suffolk's MPs.
The tragedy forced the hospital to launch a major review in to their infection control procedures, with a host of independent experts brought in to the hospital to look at where things had gone wrong.
As a result an in-depth action plan was drawn up with guidelines for the future, and a raft of measures were introduced such as placing alcoholic hand-gel at the entrance to every ward and putting up signs around the hospital urging people to wash their hands.
n. What do you think about the length of time the inquest has taken? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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