A doctor at a private hospital has apologised in court to the parents of a two-year-old girl for failing to diagnose her brain tumour.
Keira Lee, who died after emergency surgery at King’s College NHS hospital in December 2013, was seen three times in October and November that year by Dr John Brookes, an ear, nose and throat consultant at a private Spire hospital.
At Southwark coroner’s court yesterday he admitted failing to order tests that might have detected the tumour, telling the hearing: “I would like to say to Mr and Ms Lee how sorry I am that I missed the diagnosis.”
Keira, above, the fourth child of Kirsty and Tim Lee, had surgery to remove the 5cm tumour at King’s on December 3 but died two days later.
Mrs Lee, who lives near Horsley in Surrey, told the inquest her daughter’s body “seemed in far too much distress” after the operation, to the point she feared Keira would “internally combust”. The hearing continues.
