The Press Association
CHESHIRE, England — A paramedic failed to thoroughly examine a two-year-old Cheshire boy who died just hours later with a fractured skull, a panel heard.
Lewis Urmson-Brown’s anxious parents dialled 999 after the toddler knocked his head at a playground in Runcorn.
Paramedic Andrew Orme was later called to their home but failed to spot the serious injury or take the little boy to hospital, the Health Professions Council (HPC) panel was told.
Instead Lewis — who was referred to as patient A during the hearing — was allowed to go to sleep and discovered unconscious hours later, before he was rushed to hospital, where he died.
An inquest last year heard how Ms Urmson, then 39, noticed a small cut on Lewis’ head after he was carried home by his father, Chris Brown. A few hours later the concerned couple dialled 999 “for advice’’ because Lewis had “gone floppy’’. But details of the bang on his head only emerged during a police investigation and were not conveyed to paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service when they were called out, the panel heard.
The parents were arrested on suspicion of murder the same month but later released without charge after Cheshire Police proved their son’s injuries happened at the playground.
The hearing was told how Orme arrived at the family home at 7.40pm, minutes after the emergency call. But his clinical assessment skills were “deficient’’ and he left about 15 minutes later, having failed to detect the fracture or suggest the little boy needed hospital treatment, it was alleged. During the visit he also failed to fully complete the required paperwork.
Lewis, who had been on the social services’ at-risk register, was pronounced dead at Warrington Hospital, with a 15cm fracture to his skull. The post-mortem examination revealed a blood clot weighing 56 grams.
Orme is accused of failing to adequately assess the toddler’s head injury, failing to take him to hospital or offer appropriate advice to his parents, failing to provide them with a patient report form and failing to advise them on how to monitor the toddler following his departure. He is also accused of dishonest conduct — allegedly failing to properly account for the time spent at the scene.
Orme denies his fitness to practise is impaired. The hearing was adjourned until April 28.
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