A nurse has quit the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust after 18 years, saying she could 'no longer dedicate her time, skills and profession to a trust that failed her son'. Hudson Perrins, who was two years old, died in June 2024 – a month before his third birthday, and four days after he was taken to New Cross Hospital with severe stomach pain.
His mother, Kayleigh Taundry, claimed the toddler was misdiagnosed with constipation and wasn't given adequate pain relief during his time at the Wolverhampton hospital. He was later transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where he died from multiple organ failure and sepsis caused by a urinary tract infection.
Inquest and Settlement
An inquest in December 2024 ruled that Hudson died from natural causes. Black Country Coroner, Kelly Dixon, heard that the trust had not followed its own guidelines when Hudson was first assessed in A&E.
Hudson's family, who live in Willenhall, have now secured an out-of-court settlement after the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust apologised for failing to give him adequate pain relief in the days before he died. The family had claimed the trust was wrong to settle on a diagnosis of constipation without also testing for a urine infection and said further tests should have been carried out.
Admitted Failures
The family also claimed Hudson was not given sufficient pain relief and that staff failed to properly monitor his catheter once fitted, missing the fact that it was not draining. The trust denied its diagnosis, and its decision not to investigate further, amounted to a breach of duty, but it did admit that Hudson should have been given pain relief earlier, and staff should have checked how much fluid was draining into his catheter bag. However, it has not accepted that either failure caused Hudson's death.
Ms Taundry, who left her job at the trust in April this year, said: "It's devastating to think that on top of everything else, Hudson was left in pain in his last few days when it didn't need to happen. Nothing will ever bring Hudson back, but it means a great deal to finally have it accepted that he should have been given pain relief and that his catheter should have been checked properly. I hope this settlement, and the failures it has brought to light, mean lessons are genuinely learned so another family doesn't have to go through what we have."
Legal and Trust Response
Michael Portman-Hann, a partner with Midlands law firm FBC Manby Bowdler, who guided the family through the case, said: "These were basic elements of care that were missed. While the trust maintains that these failures didn't affect the eventual outcome for Hudson, his family will always be left wondering whether he suffered more than he should have in his final days, and that is something no parent should have to carry."
A spokesperson for the trust told BirminghamLive: "As this claim is an ongoing matter it would not be appropriate for the trust to comment at this time." The settlement brings a degree of closure for the family, though the trust has not accepted that the failures contributed to Hudson's death.
