Latest news with #ConnorWellsted
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Connor Wellsted: Father welcomes police review of investigation
The father of a five-year-old boy who died while in the care of a children's brain injury charity has welcomed a review of the police investigation into his Wellsted, from Sheffield, suffocated when a cot bumper became lodged under his chin during a stay at The Children's Trust's Tadworth unit in Surrey in 2017. An inquest found the cot was overdue a service and used Police, which has admitted shortcomings during the investigation, said it was reviewing the circumstances of the inquiry into Connor's the police review, Chris Wellstead, from Doncaster, said: "I never thought this day would actually come, in all honesty." "I didn't think I would live to see the day where I'd get the phone call."In a statement, The Children's Trust said the force had not been in contact about the review but they would "co-operate fully should they get in touch". Connor had neurological disabilities caused by a brain injury after he suffered a near-miss sudden infant death syndrome when he was five weeks 18 April 2017 he began what should have been a six-week stay at the trust for intensive neuro-rehabilitation, but was found dead in a padded cot on 17 May. An inquest found his cot was nine years old, was used infrequently and had not had an annual service for the previous five years."He meant the whole universe, that boy was my beating heart," said Mr inquest in 2022 concluded Connor had probably stood up and held on to the cot bumper, which was not properly fixed, causing it to dislodge and trap his neck, obstructing his Dr Karen Henderson said police and the coroners' service were not initially "fully informed of the circumstances" and the scene had "not been preserved".Key details were also not shared with the pathologist who performed the autopsy, the inquest heard, preventing a forensic post-mortem examination taking place to establish how or if the cot bumper may have contributed to his death. Surrey Police admitted shortcomings during the initial investigation into Connor's death, including failing to send a detective inspector to the scene in line with a policy on sudden a statement, a spokesperson said: "We fully accept this was a failing on our part."As a result, the force is now reviewing the investigation into the circumstances of Connor's death to ascertain if any further enquiries need to be made."They added: "We have been in contact with Connor's family and will be keeping them updated."Mike Thiedke, chief executive of The Children's Trust, said: "Eight years on from Connor's death, we recognise his loss remains devastating for his family and loved ones. "We will always be sorry that Connor died while in the care of The Children's Trust and that nothing we can say will ever take away the sorrow and pain."He continued: "We understand that Surrey Police are conducting a review of their own investigative processes into Connor's death - we have not been contacted by the police but will of course make ourselves available and co-operate fully should they get in touch."Over the past eight years we have undergone significant transformation and made substantial improvements and we are confident that introduced measures have strengthened safety, communication, and transparency across our services." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
The Independent
22-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Four nurses investigated over death of boy, 5, at flagship children's care home
Four nurses are facing a fitness to practise probe after the death of a 5-year-old boy at a flagship care home for disabled children, The Independent can reveal. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the UK's nursing watchdog, initially found there was no case to answer over the death of Connor Wellsted, who suffocated in his cot in 2017 while being cared for at The Children's Trust (TCT) in Tadworth, Surrey. The nurses were referred to the NMC in May 2022, but the watchdog later closed the investigations. It reopened the probe in November 2023 and, this month, after a 19-month-long investigation, decided all four nurses should face fitness to practise tribunals. No interim conditions have been placed on the nurses, meaning they can continue to work while awaiting the outcome. If the committee finds the nurses are unfit to practise, they could be struck off or suspended. However, the committee can also decide that the nurses' fitness to practise is not impaired and give no sanction. It comes after The Independent revealed that Surrey police had reopened a probe into the handling of Connor's death following a litany of failings over the little boy's care. Connor died at TCT, the UK's largest brain injury rehabilitation centre for children, which can care for up to 66 young people, having suffocated when a cot bumper became lodged under his chin. He had been there for six weeks, receiving care for neuro-rehabilitation. He was the first of three disabled children to die while in the care of TCT. Raihana Oluwadamilola Awolaja and Mia Gauci-Lamport died in June and September 2023, respectively. Multiple failings have been identified in all three of the children's care, including a failure to appropriately monitor them. In 2022, coroner Karen Henderson found Connor died after the cot bumper, which was not properly secured, came loose and obstructed his airway. The inquest found TCT 'failed to keep Connor safe in his cot.' Among concerns highlighted by the inquest was the fact Connor had 'no regular or direct supervision during the night'. The inquest also revealed staff did not fully inform the police and coroner's services as to the circumstances of his death. Police were not told of the position Connor was found in, and that he had been dead for some time. They were also not told that the padded cot bumper was initially found across his neck, the inquest heard. The prevention of future deaths report states TCT's chief nurse and medical director were concerned about the role the bumper played in his death, but they did not keep a copy of his medical records or inform the relevant statutory bodies and 'arguably misled' the CQC. The pathologist was also not informed of the circumstances of his death, which prevented a post-mortem examination from taking place to establish whether the cot bumper played a part in how he died, the report said. 'An innocent individual' Last month, Coroner Fiona Wilcox issued a prevention of future deaths report following the death of Raihana. The report found there was a 'gross failure in care by nursing staff' after they failed to adequately observe her. It is not known whether any of the same staff cared for both Connor and Raihana. The inquest also revealed: 'Following Raihana's death, TCT undertook an investigation which failed to uncover what had happened or to understand the cause of her death. This meant that a nurse, to whom Raihana's care had been handed to by the allocated carer was blamed by the TCT and was referred to the NMC erroneously.' TCT said the initial investigation had been carried out by an external organisation. The inquest also found 'issues with the credibility of another nurse (nurse two) who should have been caring for Raihana'. Ms Wilcox warned: 'There may be a culture of cover-up at the TCT, in that they carried out a flawed investigation after this incident, pushing blame onto an innocent individual and thereby avoiding highlighting systemic failures and learning and thus risking lessons that should be learned are lost that could prevent future deaths.' In response to the coroner's allegations about the erroneous referral to the NMC, TCT said: 'We accept that the initial external investigation was inadequate and did not sufficiently explore systemic factors. 'We later identified these issues and undertook further work to strengthen our organisational learning. The extensive evidence presented to the coroner during the inquest helped clarify the events that led to Raihana's death and enabled us to improve the way we manage and investigate incidents. 'Raihana's death has prompted significant reflection, change, and action across our organisation. We are working hard to build a no-blame culture and support our specialist staff to meet our high standards of care. We've made significant changes to how we review and respond to concerns - focusing on learning, not blame.' It said it has implemented the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), 'which shifts the emphasis from individual fault to understanding wider systemic issues'. The NMC was sent a copy of Raihana's prevention of future deaths report. In a response to The Independent, it said: 'We are aware of the tragic deaths of Connor, Raihana and Mia and our thoughts are with their loved ones. 'We can confirm that we have received the prevention of future deaths report in relation to Raihana's sad death and are considering the appropriate next steps. 'We are only able to confirm whether an individual is under investigation in certain circumstances, which is generally if we have completed an investigation and case examiners decide there is a case to answer.' The NMC confirmed that, in the case of Connor, its case examiners have decided there is a case to answer concerning four registrants and have recommended they proceed to a fitness to practise committee. The NMC has faced criticism over the screening and decision-making of referrals.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Nurses to face regulator over a case involving the death of a 5-year-old after failings by a flagship UK care home
Four nurses who cared for a 5-year-old who died at a children's care home are being by the UK's nursing watchdog after The Independent revealed xx The Nursing and Midwifery Council initailly found there was no case to answer over Connor Wellsted's death but reopened the investigation a year later. Connor died while being treated at The Children's Trust, the UK's largest rehabilitation unit for children with brain injury, in 2017. His death came after a litany of failings xxxx The NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives in the UK, has decided to take forward fitness to practice probes into four registrants. The nurses were referred in June 2022 and the NMC initially closed investigations. After a review of its decision, the regulator decided all cases should be reopened. Last week, The Independent revealed Surrey police have reopened a probe into the handling of Connor's death. The UK's nursing regulator has opened investigations into four clinicians over a case involving the death of a 5-year-old after failings by the UK's largest rehabilitation unit for children with brain injury, The Independent can reveal. The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates nurses and midwives in the UK, has decided to take forward fitness to practice probes into four registrants, over the case of Conner Wellsted, a 5-year-old who died at The Children's Trust in 2017, following a litany of failures. This comes after the regulator initially closed investigations after the nurses were referred in June 2022. After a review of its decision, the regulator decided all cases should be reopened. The regulator has now decided that all four nurses should face a fitness to practice committee hearing. The Children's Trust is the UK's largest brain injury rehabilitation unit for children and is used by the NHS and local authorities across the country. Last week, The Independent revealed Surrey police have reopened a probe into the handling of Conner's death. Now, the UK's nursing regulator has confirmed that it received referrals against four registrants in relation to Conner's case in May 2022 and that in June 2025, following an investigation, it decided the nurses have a case to answer and will each face a fitness to practice committee. No interim conditions were placed on the nurses' licences to practice. Conner Wellsted was the first of three disabled children to have died whilst in the care of The Children's Trust. His death came six years before Raihana Oluwadamilola Awolaja and Mia Gauci-Lamport, in June and September 2023, respectively. Multiple failings have been identified in all three children's deaths, including a failure to appropriately monitor the children. In 2022, Coroner Karen Henderson found Conner died after a cot bumper, which was not properly secured, came loose and obstructed his airway. The inquest found TCT 'failed to keep Conner safe in his cot.' Among concerns highlighted by the inquest was the fact that Conner had 'no regular or direct supervision during the night.' The inquest also revealed that staff did not fully inform the police and coroner's services as to the circumstances of his death. Police were not told of the position Conner was found in and that he had been dead for some time, or that the padded cot bumper was initially found across his neck. According to the outcome of a complaint to the police in summing up the coroner said: 'I do not accept the evidence that when Connor was found deceased, the bumper was lying on Connor's chest or that it was not impeding him in any way...I am also satisfied given the rigidity and the firmness of the bumper that some force was needed to remove the bumper although it remains unclear who removed the bumper and whether that involved one or two members of the nursing staff lending considerable support to indicate that Connor was entrapped. 'Thereafter, I am also satisfied that the bumper was removed from Connor's neck and then at some point it was likely to have been placed back on Connor's chest which was thereafter found by other nursing staff who were asked to attend Connor as an emergency.' The prevention of future deaths report also states TCT's chief nurse and medical director were concerned about the role the bumper played in his death; however, they did not keep a copy of his medical records or inform the relevant statutory bodies and arguably 'misled' the CQC. The pathologist was also not informed of the circumstances of his death, which prevented a post-mortem from taking place to establish whether the cot bumper played a part in his death. 'An Innocent individual' Last month, Coroner Fiona Wilcox issued a prevention of future deaths report following the death of Raihana in June 2023. The report found there was a 'gross failure in care by nursing staff' after they failed to adequately observe her. However, the inquest also revealed that following Raihana's death, TCT undertook an investigation which failed to uncover the cause of death. This resulted in a nurse to whom Raihana's care had been handed being 'blamed by the TCT and was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council erroneously.' The inquest also found 'issues with the credibility of another nurse (nurse two) who should have been caring for Raihana.' Coroner Wilcox warned: 'There may be a culture of cover-up at the TCT, in that they carried out a flawed investigation after this incident, pushing blame onto an innocent individual and thereby avoiding highlighting systemic failures and learning and thus risking lessons that should be learned are lost that could prevent future deaths.' In response to the Coroner's allegations about the erroneous referral to the NMC, The Children's Trust said: 'We accept that the initial external investigation was inadequate and did not sufficiently explore systemic factors. We later identified these issues and undertook further work to strengthen our organisational learning. The extensive evidence presented to the coroner during the inquest helped clarify the events that led to Raihana's death and enabled us to improve the way we manage and investigate incidents.' 'Raihana's death has prompted significant reflection, change, and action across our organisation. We are working hard to build a no-blame culture and support our specialist staff to meet our high standards of care. We've made significant changes to how we review and respond to concerns - focusing on learning, not blame.' It said it has implemented the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), 'which shifts the emphasis from individual fault to understanding wider systemic issues.' The Nursing and Midwifery Council were sent a copy of Raihana's prevention of future deaths report. In a response to The Independent, it said: 'We are aware of the tragic deaths of Connor, Raihana and Mia and our thoughts are with their loved ones.' 'We can confirm that we have received the prevention of future deaths report in relation to Raihana's sad death and are considering the appropriate next steps.' 'We are only able to confirm whether an individual is under investigation in certain circumstances, which is generally if we have completed an investigation and case examiners decide there is a case to answer.' The NMC confirmed in the case of Conner Wellsted that its case examiners have decided there is a case to answer in relation to four registrants and have recommended they proceed to a fitness to practise committee.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
One care home, three children's deaths and countless missed warnings
Three disabled children died in similar circumstances at the UK's largest brain rehabilitation centre for children despite warnings about care failings, The Independent can reveal. Five-year-old Connor Wellsted died in 2017 at The Children's Trust's (TCT) Tadworth unit Surrey, having suffocated when a cot bumper became lodged under his chin. Six years later, in 2023, Raihana Oluwadamilola Awolaja, 12, died when her breathing tube became blocked and Mia Gauci-Lamport, 16, died after she was found unresponsive in her bed. Inquests into all three deaths uncovered a litany of failings and identified common problems in the children's care at the home where multiple senior directors earn six-figure salaries. Now, police have launched a fresh investigation into Connor's death. Coroners who investigated their deaths criticised staff for failing to adequately monitor the children - all of whom had complex disabilities and needed one-to-one care - and for not sharing the full circumstances of how they died with authorities. The families of the children, who were all under the care of their local council, are demanding that the government and the regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), take action. Connor's father Chris Wellsted told The Independent: 'How many more children are going to die because of their incompetence? CQC failed the NHS England failed. The government failed. Every organisation, what should have been investigating the children's trust. It's a disgrace.' Surrey Police first investigated Conor's death in 2017 but no further action was taken. The force has now admitted that it failed to deploy a detective inspector to the scene, which is protocol following the sudden death of a child - something it admitted 'was a failing on our part'. It said it would review the investigation to decide if further inquiries into his death are needed. It is not reinvestigating Raihana and Mia's deaths. 'A disgrace' Connor, from Sheffield, who had neuro-disabilities as a result of a brain injury following a heart attack after birth, was found dead in his cot at TCT on 17 May 2017 after he became trapped under a cot bumper. Following an inquest into his death, Coroner Karen Henderson ruled TCT had 'misled' authorities over the circumstances of Connor's death, initially telling the police, coroner and pathologist that the cot bumper was found on Connor's chest. Staff also failed to preserve the scene and did not tell police that he had already been dead for hours when staff found him unresponsive in the morning. The staff also failed to declare that Connor's death was sudden and unexpected, which meant police did not send a detective inspector to the scene, as is typically the case. In December 2024, the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman criticised the CQC for failing to take enforcement action against TCT over his death after it concluded it wasn't necessary. Connor's father complained about the police's handling of the investigation, which has now prompted the force to reinvestigate. A letter, seen by The Independent, confirming the fresh probe reads: 'I can confirm that Surrey Police are relaunching a crime investigation into the circumstances of Connor's death in order to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed.' A key concern over Connor's death, which was also brought up in probes into Raihana and Mia's deaths, was that he had no direct supervision overnight, other than staff opening the door or watching him through a glass window. 'Culture of cover-up' Raihana, who was from Essex, had complex disabilities as a result of a premature birth and needed around-the-clock care, died at TCT on 1 June 2023. She had been left unattended for 15 minutes, during which time her tracheostomy tube was blocked. Ms Wilcox said that if she had been 'appropriately observed' this would have been recognised and resolved and, 'on the balance of probabilities, she would not have died at this time'. She said: 'This failure to adequately observe her was a gross failure in care by the nursing staff. This was compounded by the lack of sufficient staff on the unit where Raihana lived to provide proper 1:1 care.' Raihana's mother, Latifat Kehinde Solomon, had previously raised concerns about her daughter's care after finding that she had been left unsupervised. Making a ruling that Raihana died as a result of natural causes contributed to by neglect, Ms Wilcox warned: 'There may be a culture of cover-up at Tadworth Children's Trust.' She added that the trust had carried out a flawed investigation into Raihana's death, had blamed an 'innocent individual', and as a result, had avoided highlighting systemic failures in the running of the home. 'Warnings not heeded' Mia Gauci-Lamport, from Bracknell Forest, had Ohtahara syndrome, a severe epilepsy syndrome, and required 24-hour care at TCT. She had been at the home since 2020, but in September 2023, she was found dead in her bed. She should have had in-person checks every 15 minutes, but staff only used a video camera to check on her. An external investigation, by consultancy firm Bluebox Associates, seen by The Independent, found TCT did not carry out its obligations under law to inform Mia's family of the circumstances of her death. During her inquest, the local authority lead for Mia's care said the council was concerned over 'discrepancies' in the reports from TCT concerning when Mia was found and when the ambulance was called. Mia's sister Paige Gauci Lamport, 24, told The Independent that details of her care only came to light during her inquest. They included concerns that Mia was under the care of a private doctor, paid for by TCT, who was also employed by Great Ormond Street Hospital, when she should have been assigned a specialist NHS team. Concluding Mia's inquest, Coroner Karen Henderson, who also investigated Connor's death, raised concerns that her previous warnings about TCT's failings appeared to have been ignored. She said: 'The lack of a robust and adhered to care plan for night observations for Mia mirrors the same concern in the PFD [Prevention of Future Deaths] report I issued following the inquest touching on the death of Connor Wellsted at TCT in 2022.' Mia's sister has called for action from the government to prevent further deaths: 'When will this end? When is it they're going to finally take some action?' 'I just think one child, accident, two a coincidence, three is a pattern. I think more action needs to be done. I think people with disabilities don't have a voice, really.' 'I just think they [The Department for Health and Social Care and CQC] have a duty to make sure that these kids are being looked after… I just think because they are disabled kids and they don't have a voice, it's just easy to pass it on.' In response to the deaths, Mike Thiedke, chief executive of TCT, said the trust was 'determined to learn and improve, not to hide or minimise if something has gone wrong'. He said that where the trust has not met its own high standards, it had acknowledged and apologised. He added the trusts had since adopted a new patient safety approach that involves families. Commenting on the fresh police probe into Connor's death, he added: 'The Children's Trust continues to send our most heartfelt condolences to Connor Wellsted's family. We understand that Surrey Police are conducting a review of how Connor's death has been handled, including by the police. We will make ourselves available to the police and cooperate fully.' Lucy Harte, deputy director of multiagency operations at CQC said: 'Our sincere condolences go to the families of Connor, Mia and Raihana. The impact of such a loss is deep and profound. The importance of understanding what happened and what can be done to keep people safe in the future can't be overstated.' She said the CQC had provided detailed responses to coroner's concerns for Mia and Connor and was reviewing its response to Raihana's inquest. The Department for Health and Social Care would not comment directly on what action should be taken concerning TCT but said it would expect the CQC to use its powers where providers are failing to give adequate care to patients.
