Minister slated in Fabio debate

A government health minister came under fire over the death of five-year-old Fabio Alves-Nunes, who died after an extreme reaction to chickenpox.

Gillian Merron MP refused to waver from a coroner's verdict of natural causes, despite a three-month investigation pointing to the contrary.

Her stance was described as "absurd" and "distasteful" by Reigate MP Crispin Blunt who secured a half-hour debate in the commons at 10pm on Tuesday (October 27).

Fabio, who died on March 1 last year after contracting the common childhood disease, was turned away by staff at East Surrey Hospital.

Barely able to walk or talk, Fabio's bed clothes were wet with blood seeping from the lesions that covered his tiny body.

An external report concluded "significant failings" had been made in the care he received by Surrey and Sussex NHS Healthcare Trust, which runs the Redhill hospital.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Blunt said: "I am particularly concerned the Coroner reached his verdict 12 days ahead of the presentation of the external report to the Trust.

"It is clear that the Coroner would not have had the time or the expertise to achieve the level of detail or to reach the conclusions made by the external team.

"He should have been able to draw from that report's findings.

"However, to suggest that the Coroner would not have been assisted by the product of three months work by experts is plainly ludicrous."

Ms Merron, the Minister of State for Public Health, accepted "shortfalls" in the treatment but maintained it was important to note the coroner's verdict.

She said: "The coroner recorded a verdict of natural causes and concluded there was no evidence the outcome for Fabio would have been different had he been admitted to hospital sooner.

"However, the trust accepts there were shortfalls in the care provided by East Surrey hospital, with staff failing to recognise the severity of Fabio's condition in order to act accordingly."

But she added: "It does seem that Fabio's case was an isolated failing".

Failings in the care and advice provided by the GP surgery visited by his parents were also highlighted in the commons.

Mr Blunt went on to criticise the delay in the report reaching Fabio's parents, Ricardo and Anna Alves-Nunes, both 36, of Rennie Terrace, Redhill.

The couple – who have two other children, Patrick, 12, and Olivia, four – waited 10 months to receive the report following its completion; a situation described as "disgraceful" by Mr Blunt.

Ms Merron said: "My understanding is that (the Trust) believed the report would have been too distressing for a grieving family to read, but there was a failure to explain that to the family that led to unacceptable delay and confusion."

Doctors failed to observe Fabio's eczema had any baring on the determination of his condition, said Mr Blunt.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Blunt said he felt the minister's stance was "absurd" and "distasteful".

Ricardo Alves-Nunes said: "I'm still deeply unhappy, I don't feel she really answered anything.

"I still cannot stand by the coroner's verdict of natural causes – there was nothing natural about Fabio's death."