Tots breathed in noxious gas

Solicitor Claire Horton has been asked by parents of children affected in the incident to see if there is a case for compensation.

Tina Lockett, 36, of Petts Wood, and Julie Vaughan, of Orpington, were horrified when their children inhaled a cocktail of gases after a fault in the hospital's oxygen supply.

The two mums now want the other families affected to come forward to strengthen any possible legal action, after learning one of the gases was carbon monoxide.

Mrs Lockett, of Crest View Drive, whose six-year-old daughter Abbie suffers from the rare Angelman syndrome, which causes epilepsy and learning difficulties, said: "I want to make a claim because of the unnecessary drug treatment Abbie had to have afterwards.

"Also because of the trauma Abbie and the rest of us had to go through."

Abbie had to be given powerful steroids and was put on a nebuliser after the incident on November 26. A nurse monitored her vital signs every five minutes for seven hours.

Three babies, including Julie and Chris Vaughan's two-month-old son Jake, were also affected.

The families are waiting to see what a report by supplier British Oxygen Company (BOC) reveals before starting proceedings.

The families' Manchester-based solicitor, Miss Horton, told News Shopper: "This is an unusual case and not like any I've come across in 13 years in this field.

"In order to make a claim, we need to find out more about who was responsible for the supply and how that went wrong. We would have to establish that a duty of care was breached. We know some children had to be resuscitated but we won't know until we have medical reports if there are likely to be any long-term effects."

A BOC spokesman said: "We're still investigating but I can't say how long it will be before the report is published. We can't rush these things because we need to be as thorough as possible." Call Claire Horton on 0161 834 1251.

January 28, 2003 11:30