Inquiry into death of boy at the Royal Hospital for Children to begin

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of a three-year-old boy at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Archie Donald died on November 20, 2019 after being admitted to the Royal Hospital for Children, part of the QEUH campus, for treatment.

The inquiry will examine the circumstances of Archie’s death, with an expected focus on what role the identification and treatment of a line infection played in his death, the delay in admittance, and record sharing.

It will also consider whether the built hospital environment played a role in the contraction of the infection.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain ordered a “discretionary” fatal accident inquiry into Archie’s death – whereas in some cases FAIs are mandatory, including deaths in custody or at work.

A preliminary hearing will take place on May 15 at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

The inquiry will establish if reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of deaths in similar circumstances, rather than attribute blame.

Procurator fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on death investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that it is in the public interest for a discretionary fatal accident inquiry to be held into the circumstances of the death of Archie Donald to ensure there can be a full public hearing of the facts of the case.

“The lodging of the first notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the sheriff.

“Archie’s family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.”

Earlier this year, the Crown Office ordered fatal accident inquiries to investigate “the death of several children” at the QUEH, which is subject to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, a statutory probe into the construction of the facility.