Richard Littler acts in Inquest into death of a baby in 2009

January 19, 2015

Richard Littler from Exchange Chambers has acted in a lengthy Inquest at Wakefield Coroners Court into the death of a baby in 2009 at Leeds Royal Infirmary.

Richard represented the most senior Intensive Care Consultant who was criticised for deciding not to admit the baby into Intensive Care (PICU) sooner.

There had been a catalogue of errors made by junior medics and Registrars and all were attempting to attribute blame elsewhere. Richard challenged the quality of the investigation by the Trust and exposed the fact that in 2009 fatalities in PICU were higher, the numbers of doctors and nurses were lower, there was no bed space in PICU in 2009 and medical personnel were regularly being forced to breach hospital policy and procedure to treat patients effectively.

The Coroner found there had been neglect and that was inevitable but importantly the neglect was systemic within the hospital with a lack of resources being a huge contributing factor and individual departments or doctors were not blamed. The case received national media attention and was raised in the House of Commons.

Richard has represented families and interested persons at Inquests pre and post the Coroner’s and Justice Act 2009, Coroner (Inquests) Rules 2013 and Coroner’s Investigations Regulations 2013. He has conducted both Article 2 and traditional inquests and has vast experience of inquests with or without jurors.