Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

4. Mr E and Miss G have made a complaint about the care S received at the Trust on 28 September 2024. Specifically, they say it: • failed to investigate his symptoms • misdiagnosed and discharged him despite him having red‑flag symptoms • provided them with inadequate safety-netting advice at the time of S’s discharge.

5. Mr E and Miss G believe these missed opportunities to investigate and escalate his care meant there was a delay in S’s diagnosis of Wilms Tumour (a type of kidney cancer that mostly affects young children). They feel this led to the loss of a chance for curative treatment, caused S significant suffering in the weeks before his death, and ultimately resulted in his premature death. They also explain the Trust’s attitude throughout its response to their complaint has compounded their distress.

6. Mr E and Miss G seek a recognition of failings, an apology, systemic improvements and a financial remedy to recognise their distress.

7. On 28 September 2024, Mr E and Miss G took their son S, aged two and a half, to the Trust’s paediatric emergency department. He was unwell with lethargy, abdominal pain, reduced appetite and mottled skin. Staff triaged him, redirected him to the Urgent Care Centre, and then referred him back to the emergency department. Previous GP blood tests had shown S had a raised enzyme linked to his liver health.

8. A paediatric specialist trainee doctor examined S. They noted he had mild abdominal swelling with faecal loading (a build‑up of stool in the bowel). They diagnosed S with constipation with a viral illness and discharged them.

9. Later, S was admitted to another hospital. Investigations there led to a diagnosis of Wilms Tumour on 16 October. Despite treatment, S died on 26 November.

10. The family made a formal complaint. They said there were failures in the Trust’s assessment, escalation, documentation and communication. They believe these failures delayed S’s diagnosis and treatment and contributed to his death.

12. Mr E and Miss G told us they are awaiting a Child Death Review meeting for their son. The Child Death Review (the Review) is the independent process for examining the circumstances of a child’s death. Its main role is to identify learning and ensure improvements in care and safety.

13. The Child Death Review does not apportion blame for a death or consider liability. However, it will look at the circumstances leading up to S’s death and may comment on whether any care provided contributed to those circumstances.

14. The Review also has the power to report deficiencies in service to the relevant authorities, with the aim of ensuring improvements are made to prevent future deaths.

15. The Review will consider information from all organisations involved in S’s care. This includes the Trust in this complaint, and the Trust that provided S’s care afterwards.

16. The Review process requires all relevant information to be shared so that the circumstances can be fully understood and any learning incorporated.

17. We have carefully considered whether we should look at Mr E and Miss G’s complaint about the Trust at this time. We have decided not to do so because it would require us to investigate a period of care which is also being considered through the Review process.

18. We know Mr E and Miss G have asked us to go ahead with their complaint now, without waiting for the Child Death Review. We have thought carefully about this request, and we understand how difficult it is for them when they are already waiting for answers.

19. However, because there may be overlap between their complaint and the Review, investigating at the same time could cause practical difficulties and risk inconsistent findings. Waiting for the Review to conclude will mean any decisions are based on the full picture and will help ensure any work we do adds value rather than duplicating or conflicting with the Review.

20. With this in mind, we will take no further action on Mr E and Miss G’s complaint until the Review has concluded. Once they have received the outcome of the Review, they can return to us with any remaining concerns they would like us to look at. If they wish to do so, they should avoid delay and come back to us as soon as they can after the Review concluding. This is because delays may affect our ability to investigate the complaint.

21. We understand the events Mr E and Miss G complain about have had a devastating impact on them and their family. We appreciate how difficult it has been for them to wait for answers, and we hope the Review provides meaningful clarity and reassurance. We also want to reassure them that they will have the opportunity to return to us if they remain dissatisfied once the Review has concluded.

1. We have carefully considered Mr E’s and Miss G’s complaint about Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (the Trust). They complain about aspects of the care and treatment provided to their son, S, who very sadly died on 26 November 2024.

2. They have brought some incredibly serious concerns to us, and we are not dismissing them in any way. They have made us aware that they are also awaiting an investigation via the Child Death Review. As this is ongoing at the same time they have approached us, we consider this process may limit the work we can do on their complaint. We consider it important for that process to conclude before we look any further into the linked concerns Mr E and Miss G have raised.

3. We offer our deepest condolences to Mr E and Miss G. We are very sorry to hear about the sad circumstances of their complaint. We recognise the strength it has taken for them to share their concerns with us at such a painful time.