Coroner clears Brisbane’s Mater Hospital staff over nine-year-old Hunter Marr’s death

 

A coroner has found no adverse findings against the Mater Hospital in Brisbane, following an inquest into the death of a nine-year-old boy shortly after he was discharged last year.

Gold Coast boy Hunter Marr had been diagnosed as asthmatic and was taken to the Mater Children’s Hospital at South Brisbane with breathing difficulties in January last year.

He was discharged three days later but died within 24 hours at the Logan Hospital.

Today coroner James McDougall found Hunter’s death was caused by an acute episode of asthma but he said the circumstances of Hunter’s death had not warranted the referral of any medical staff to regulatory authorities.

Mr McDougall said the Mater had acted correctly in discharging the boy, but noted in his findings that Hunter’s parents’ lack of acceptance or understanding of their son’s asthma diagnosis had been a factor.

The coroner’s findings included details of Hunter’s asthma history, including multiple visits to the Mater and Gold Coast hospitals in 2011.

On one occasion, Mrs Marr was said to have provided Hunter’s history to a doctor but had said “he’s not an asthmatic”.

The coroner’s written findings noted: “the denials and professed ignorance of Hunter’s clear and quite serious history of asthma by Mr and Mrs Marr … it seems quite apparent that Hunter’s parents knew that Hunter suffered from asthma and that it was not just a ‘seasonal’ illness”.

“I do not know why Mr and Mrs Marr told this inquest and doctors that Hunter did not have asthma,” Mr McDougall said.

“I am unable to find a reason for Mr and Mrs Marr’s denials concerning Hunter’s asthma.”

Mr McDougall recommended that steps be taken “to raise awareness amongst patients, parents and staff of the risk of asthma and actions for reducing the risk”.

He also recommended if there were inconsistencies between parents’ understanding and the medical diagnosis, then a series of documented steps must be taken to address the inconsistency.

Mr and Mrs Marr did not attend today’s hearing