WA health minister backs inquest into eight-month-old’s death

Health Minister Meredith Hammat says she will support a criminal investigation into the death of an eight-month-old girl at a hospital in WA’s Goldfields region.

Willow Katarina Horne attended the emergency department at Kalgoorlie Health Campus with respiratory problems just after midnight on September 7 last year. He died on campus two days later.

Western Australian Health Minister Meredith Hammat.Holly Thompson

Her parents, Kaydence Sutherland and William Horne, are still searching for answers after an investigation by the WA Country Health Service failed to determine the exact cause of Willow’s death.

Sutherland told 9News Perth He believed much more could have been done to save his daughter’s life.

“When they finally realized that it was probably not just bronchitis or pneumonia and it was something a little more serious, they made sure that patients were flagged as the right priority and things like that had to happen,” he said.

Willow Katarina Horne.

“I believe he would have a great chance if he could go to Perth.

“As a first-time mother, I obviously don’t have much experience with hospital systems or dealing with sick children.

“I definitely felt like they were treating me like a first-time mom who didn’t know what was going on.

9News Perth reported that an internal investigation found that “multiple opportunities” were missed to expedite baby Willow’s care.

Hammat said baby Willow’s death was a terrible tragedy and expressed his condolences to Kaydence and William.

“I think for most of us, we can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a child,” she said.

“Of course, we would welcome any judicial investigation. These processes are crucial to learning how we can continue to improve to avoid future tragedies.”

Asked whether the attorney general would seek a review, Hammat said the state government respected the coroner’s independence.

He said he had not yet seen the SAC1 report because it was still listed as confidential patient information, but he had been briefed on the recommendations.

“It is very important that these recommendations are put into practice now, because they are reflected in the quality of care in the hospital,” Hammat said.

“Our healthcare personnel work under very difficult conditions, I can say that they provide incredibly important care.

“What I do know is that when these circumstances, these tragic events, occur, they have a profound impact on the people who work in our healthcare system.”

On Sunday, WA Country Health Service’s general manager of clinical excellence, Dr. Helen Van Gessel said an investigation is underway, with the cause of Willow’s death yet to be officially determined.

“While we do not yet have a confirmed cause of death as part of the investigation, we as a panel formed the opinion that Willow’s death was likely due to myocarditis,” he said.

“Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, usually due to a viral infection. It is very rare, difficult to diagnose, and unfortunately when it causes heart failure, that is, heart muscle failure, the mortality rate is very high, especially in young children, even if they are cared for in specialized pediatric hospitals.

“Unfortunately, children with myocarditis sometimes die.

“This finding does not, of course, absolve us of our responsibility to examine every aspect of care so we can strengthen our systems and processes and support our hard-working healthcare staff to provide the best care they can.”