Coroner Simon Cooper says child's death at NWRH 'entirely avoidable'

Coroner Simon Cooper said the child, who was just eight-years-old, died at the Burnie hospital in July, 2019.

Mr Cooper delivered a vicious assessment of the "inadequate" care the child received, making multiple references to how he was failed, and that his death was "entirely avoidable".

The boy was asthmatic, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and lived with his maternal grandparents in Victoria, and in late June 2019 visited family on the North-West Coast, the coroner said.

READ MORE: Why this business owner joins call for vaccine passports

During the visit, his paternal grandmother noticed he was developing a cold, the coroner said.

His symptoms increased over the following days and by June 29, he was coughing severely and struggling to breathe, so his grandmother called an ambulance.

"She cared entirely appropriately for her grandson," Mr Cooper said.

"He told those treating him at the hospital that he had asthma but they thought it was a panic attack. It was not.

"He should have been transferred to a hospital either in Hobart or Melbourne where he could be ventilated.

"Instead, he was kept at the North West Regional Hospital where he was inadequately treated, wrongly diagnosed, and died.

READ MORE: Neill-Fraser witch-hunt must finish now

"[His] death was entirely avoidable. It occurred because of substandard medical treatment."

Mr Cooper said the Tasmanian Health Service had conducted a comprehensive investigation into the boy's death, and the recommendations arising from that were appropriate.

He also made a comment about administering the medicine salbutamol to children, and shared his sympathies with the child's family.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: