'Signs were missed' before five-year-old Walsall boy's death, doctor tells inquest
A leading paediatrician has told an inquest he was not satisfied a Walsall five-year-old was examined properly in the days leading up to his death.
Doctor Malcom Coulthard, who specialises in medical records examination, said it was clear Joshua Lee Allcock was dehydrated when he was admitted to Walsall Manor on December 28, 2022 before being transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital the next day where he later died.
Under cross-examination at Black Country Coroner's Court in Oldbury where the inquest into Joshua's death is being held, Dr Coulthard said he was satisfied a GP - who is no longer practising - examined the youngster thoroughly but that he may have missed signs of the seriousness of the situation.
And he also said a CRT scan carried out in hospital proved unreliable and the lack of an earlier diagnosis in the youngster of ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake) made it difficult for his foster carers to know what fluids to give him.
Joshua was fostered to a family by Walsall Council in the weeks leading up to his death; they reported him suffering from sickness and vomiting when he came back after a family visit before he was examined by a doctor and then admitted to hospital.
