Furious parents demand answers after their 9-year-old boy died when doctors sent him home - Daily Mail

Victor Wyatt, nine, passed away two years ago after complaining about stomach pains which turned out to be a twisted intestine

A furious couple are demanding answers after their nine-year-old son died when doctors sent him home with a twisted gut

Victor Wyatt passed away two years ago after complaining about stomach pains which turned out to be a twisted intestine.

Parents Alan and Nicki decided to take their son to the children's unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth after a referral from the GP but he was discharged a few hours later.

The next morning, Victor suffered a cardiac arrest in his bedroom while his siblings, Blake, who was seven, and Millie, who was two, looked on in horror as Nicki desperately gave him CPR.

Paramedics rushed Victor back to the Queen Alexandra before he was moved to Southampton General Hospital a couple of hours later. 

He died five days later on September 27, 2017 after suffering severe brain damage during surgery. 

Father Alan, 47, said: 'We have lost our son and we are furious. The doctors did not take us seriously enough. I am deaf but I felt like the doctors were not listening to me when I was trying to tell them about our family's history with Crohn's disease.' 

Victor's parents, Nicki Wyatt and Alan Wyatt with their son and daughter Blake, nine and Millie, four. The family, who said there was no inquest, took legal proceedings over Victor's death but lost

Alan added: 'Southampton doctors asked me why there had not been more tests and an X-ray. They immediately found the problem with his intestine and took him for surgery.'

Through tears, mother Nicki said: 'I have lost my eldest son. My children watched him as he had an arrest and now they can't go in that room, none of us can.

WHAT IS VOLVULUS?

Volvulus is a condition in which the bowel twists so much it cuts off the blood supply to part of the organ, similarly to how a balloon produces pinch points when it's twisted.

The illness can be a life-threatening emergency and requires quick surgery to treat it.

If part of the bowel does not receive enough blood because of the twisting, it can start to die. And the condition can cause a painful bowel obstruction.

Symptoms of volvulus include pain and tenderness in the abdomen, vomiting, blood in the faeces and constipation.

Doctors can confirm the condition using blood tests, X-rays and other scans, and it is usually treated in surgery to manually untwist the bowel.

If part of the intestine has died because the blood supply was cut off it may have to be removed and the patient left with stomas – bags on the outside of the body which are connected to the instestines – if it is a large section.

Volvulus is more common among children. Figures suggest the condition strike around one in 50,000 people each year.  

Causes in adults may include an enlarged colon, problems with healing after surgery or injuries, abnormalities in the colon, chronic constipation or pregnancy. 

'This house is a constant reminder of what has happened and we just want to move.'

Victor had previously been seen three times in 2015 and 2016 by the Paediatric Outpatients department at QA about bowel problems.

The family, who said there was no inquest, took legal proceedings over Victor's death but lost.

More recently the couple's other son Blake, now nine, suffered from similar gut pains and they took him straight to Southampton General Hospital where he had appendix surgery that was successful.

After the stress of the last two years, Alan, who used to work at Co-op, suffered a ministroke and was also diagnosed with functional neurological disorder.

He added: 'This has been horrible for my family.

'Even though we could not live closer to QA I would never trust them again with looking after us.'

A serious investigation report was undertaken by the hospital.

Liz Rix, chief nurse at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'The loss of a child is a tragedy and our heartfelt condolences go to the family of Victor Wyatt and all those affected at this incredibly sad time.

'The care and safety of our patients is our absolute priority. We carried out an investigation into Victor's care and treatment to identify and act on any areas for learning.'

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