Walsall Manor Hospital has been accused of failing an abused child because his violent stepfather killed him eight days after staff sent him home despite noticing bruises on his body.

The hospital is accused of sending 16-month-old Kyle Keen home in May 2006. Just eight days later he suffered severe brain haemorrhaging caused by Tyrone Matthews who shook him to death.

It happened at Matthews’ girlfriend Kerry McIntosh’s flat in Hatherton Street, Walsall. Kyle had been treated at the hospital for a stomach upset but staff also noticed he was bruised.

Matthews pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Wolverhampton Crown Court in December 2007 and was jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Kyle’s mother Kerry McIntosh, 21, admitted child cruelty by neglect and was given a six-month suspended jail term.

A review by Walsall Safeguarding Children’s Board has now been published cataloguing a series of errors by staff at the hospital. The investigation was conducted two years ago but has only just been posted on the web.

It reveals that junior doctors and nurses who examined Kyle believe he was being abused, but a consultant paediatrician stopped them from alerting police and social workers.

Mike Browne, medical director at Walsall Manor Hospital, today released a state- ment which said: “All staff involved with Child K were deeply saddened by his tragic death. A series of investigations were conducted in line with Department of Health guidance overseen by the Walsall Children’s Safeguarding Board (WCSB).

“A range of interagency partners were involved in the Serious Case Review and the recommendations relating to Walsall Manor Hospital are contained in the WCSB case review executive summary.

“Walsall Manor Hospital complied with all of the recommendations in the executive summary.”