Mother of Willenhall toddler calls for lessons to be learned after tragic death

The mother of a Willenhall toddler who died after not being given adequate pain relief has said she hoped lessons could be learned to stop other families going through the same ordeal.

Kayleigh Taundry said the death of her son Hudson could have been prevented if staff at New Cross Hospital had given him pain relief and checked him properly and said he had been left in pain in his last few days.

The two-year-old had been taken to New Cross Hospital with severe stomach pains in June 2024, with Ms Taundry claiming the hospital had misdiagnosed the toddler with constipation which contributed to his death as well as failing to relieve his pain.

Hudson was later transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, but died four days later from multiple organ failure and sepsis caused by a urinary tract infection.

An inquest in December 2024 ruled that Hudson died from natural causes, with Black Country Coroner Kelly Dixon hearing that the trust had not followed its own guidelines when Hudson was first assessed in A&E.

Ms Taundry said she had worked as a nurse for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust for 18 years, but said she left her job in April as she felt she could no longer dedicate her time, skills and profession to a trust that ‘failed her son’.

She said: "It's devastating to think that on top of everything else, Hudson was left in pain in his last few days when it didn't need to happen.

“Nothing will ever bring Hudson back, but it means a great deal to finally have it accepted that he should have been given pain relief and that his catheter should have been checked properly.

“I hope this settlement, and the failures it has brought to light, mean lessons are genuinely learned so another family doesn't have to go through what we have.”

In a statement, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust denied that its diagnosis, and its decision not to investigate further, amounted to a breach of duty.

However, it did admit that Hudson should have been given pain relief earlier, and staff should have checked how much fluid was draining into his catheter bag but has not accepted that either failure caused his death.

Ms Taundry and her family had also secured an out-of-court settlement in a claim against New Cross Hospital, with Michael Portman-Hann from FBC Manby Bowdler saying that elements of care were missing.

He said: “While the trust maintains that these failures didn't affect the eventual outcome for Hudson, his family will always be left wondering whether he suffered more than he should have in his final days, and that is something no parent should have to carry."

A spokesman for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said: “As this claim is an ongoing matter it would not be appropriate for the trust to comment at this time.”