Elizabeth Dixon: Lessons not learned after baby death cover-up, says family

The family of a baby who died after errors in her care have criticised the failure of the NHS to learn lessons.

Elizabeth Dixon died due to a blocked breathing tube shortly before her first birthday and a subsequent independent investigation found a 20-year cover-up.

A year on, Elizabeth's mother Anne told the BBC: "My daughter has not been a catalyst for change."

The Department of Health said it was working on the report's recommendations and will publish "a full response".

Elizabeth Dixon, known as Lizzie, was born prematurely at Frimley Park Hospital, in Surrey, in December 2000. But a series of errors by the hospital and by Great Ormond Street Hospital, which took over her care shortly after birth, left Elizabeth with brain damage and needing to breathe through a tracheostomy. She was further let down by Nestor Primecare, a private nursing agency, which was hired to support her parents when Elizabeth returned home. She died 10 days before her first birthday.

An official investigation, published last year, found a "20 year cover-up" by health workers, with some of those involved described as "persistently dishonest".

"I would have expected them to take it seriously," Mrs Dixon said in response to the lack of action.

She believes that if a similar incident happened today, there would be a danger it would also be covered up.

"That's the default option - if its bad enough, they'll cover up," she said.

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Source: BBC News, 1 December 2021