A happy little girl who loved to help people died from sepsis after two hospitals responsible for her care failed to tell her parents she had a serious underlying blood condition.

Ormskirk General Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital have now apologised to the parents of Eva Hayden for the failures in her care and the devastating consequences.

Eva, of Kirkby, Liverpool, was just four-years-old when she died. Both hospitals failed to ensure Eva’s parents Michelle and Ged Hayden were aware she had a condition called neutropenia, which causes low white blood cells, and that this placed her at a higher risk of developing an infection and becoming seriously unwell. They should have been told that if Eva showed signs of illness she should be taken to hospital straight away, but this was not done.

There was also poor communication between the two hospitals about the management of her condition, with no clear plan in place to ensure that Eva’s neutropenia levels and blood tests were properly monitored.

After Michelle and Ged brought a case for medical negligence against both hospital trusts they admitted not communicating with them about the neutropenia and that if they had, Eva’s death would have been avoided. Alder Hey also admitted not sending a letter to Ormskirk District General Hospital outlining the need for her to be followed up and undergo investigations.

Following an inquest into Eva’s death on 7 May 2021, a coroner made a Regulation 28 – Prevention of Future Deaths Order. As well as the poor communication with Eva’s family, coroner Andre Rebello criticised Ormskirk District General Hospital for failing to ensure further investigations were arranged when Eva did not attend a blood test on 25 November 2019, which her parents say they were not informed of, and assuming that another department would investigate her neutropenia.

Michelle, 50, said: “We remember Eva as such a caring little girl and in her short life she just loved to help people. Even at nursery, when there was a little girl struggling to settle, Eva took her under her wing to the point that the little girl would only come into nursery when Eva was there.

“I know Eva wouldn't want this to happen to another child or family. She was special and that's the way we remember her, as a special gift to the world for a short time.

“We feel so let down that Eva was lost in a system of two hospitals caring for her. We only found out about Eva’s neutropenia and how serious it is at the inquest nearly two years after her death, which hit us so hard. If we had known, we would have done everything possible to ensure our little girl received the right treatment. It’s really hard to believe a doctor did not sit us down to discuss this with us and how things could have been so different.

“We cannot believe how poor the hospitals’ attitude was with such a serious condition. They were so blasé and at no point did we feel Eva’s health was in danger from this condition. We just want lessons to be learned and for no other families to suffer as we have.

Rachael Heyes, a specialist medical solicitor at law firm JMW who is handling the family’s legal case, said: “It is absolutely staggering that a young child with such a serious condition could receive such poor management and care. Eva was a bubbly little girl who loved life and she relied on the hospital staff to keep her safe and ensure that she received all the follow up she needed. She simply fell through the cracks but it’s completely unacceptable for that to have happened in a modern day health system that has guidelines and protocols in place to stop that from happening.”

Eva developed an infection in October 2019 in her left foot and was initially taken to Ormskirk District General Hospital on 19 October, before being transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where she spent a few days before being discharged with antibiotics. Blood tests had revealed she had neutropenia but the family were not told this and merely advised that the results were not as they should be and that she would undergo regular blood tests at Ormskirk General Hospital.

Eva attended for blood tests on 04, 08 and 18 November 2019 and each of these tests revealed that her neutropenia levels remained low. Despite this no action was taken and it was not arranged for Eva to undergo any further blood tests.

Eva then became unwell in January 2020 with a fever, high temperature, rash over her limbs and chest and pain in her feet when walking. Her parents took her to a walk-in centre in Kirkby on 8 January, where they were advised to take her straight to A&E at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. A&E doctors misdiagnosed her as suffering from a virus and sent her home, without screening her for sepsis.

At home, her parents continued to be concerned about Eva but felt reassured that it was nothing serious due to the advice from A&E. Eva remained unwell and was sleepy and said her legs and arms were painful. Michelle was due to work a night shift on 9 January in her role as a support worker for vulnerable adults and reluctantly went in after Ged assured her Eva would be fine. The next day Eva’s condition fluctuated; at times she seemed really poorly and at others she seemed to perk up.

On 10 January Michelle had to work a night shift again and after going to sleep was awoken at around 5am by her older daughter calling her because Eva wouldn’t wake up. Ged tried to resuscitate her whilst an ambulance was called. Eva was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital by ambulance but sadly could not be revived. .

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