Doctor admits he made ‘an error of judgement’ after 2yo died in NSW hospital

The doctor has accepted that more should have been done to help Pippa, who tragically died from sepsis after being taken to the Orange Base Hospital.

A doctor who treated two-year-old Pippa White before she died from sepsis has admitted he overlooked taking crucial steps that should have been taken to treat the toddler. 

An inquest into the death of the 2yo is currently underway in Limcombe Coroner’s Court, investigating the medical steps taken by staff before the toddler’s death. 

Pippa died shortly before her third birthday in 2022 at the Orange Base Hospital in rural NSW, where she was admitted after suffering two cardiac arrests on June 13. 

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

Pippa died in 2022 from sepsis. Picture: Supplied

Doctor admits “oversights” in treating toddler

The day before, the toddler had been throwing up, suffering from a fever and diarrhoea. 

When doctors performed tests on the NSW girl, they confirmed she had pneumonia; an X-ray also showed that the right side of her lung had a complete white-out. 

RELATED: My daughter had a medical episode, I refused to watch her kids

At the hospital, the child was showing signs of breathing distress, with doctors recalling the toddler grunting and the sound of “crackles” coming from her chest, a sign of abdominal pain. 

At the inquest on Tuesday, junior doctor Dr Christopher Morris recounted the steps he took to treat the toddler on June 13.

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

During the inquest, footage of the toddler’s breathing difficulties was shown to the coroner’s court. 

Dr Morris explained that he ordered blood tests for the 2yo but didn’t escalate the case, as he wanted to have more facts about her condition before proceeding. 

The junior doctor said this was an error of judgment but was not made deliberately. “It was an oversight to not call a rapid response,” he said. He also admitted he should have escalated her care when her heart rate was raised to what is referred to as the "red zone".

Pippa was showing signs of sepsis, which is the body’s response to infection, ultimately damaging the body’s internal organs and tissue, when Dr Morris talked to paediatrician Dr Adam Buckmaster. 

Before speaking to Dr Buckmaster, Dr Morris told the court he had reviewed an X-ray of the toddler’s left lung, which was starting to show signs of infection. However, he did not immediately notify Dr Buckmaster. 

Afraid he would make an error by judging off a low-resolution image of the X-ray, Dr Morris instead decided to wait until the machine was switched off and wheeled out of the ward before making a judgment. 

Together, Dr Morris and Dr Buckmaster formed a plan for the treatment of the toddler, which included antibiotics and fluids. They would also take regular blood tests to track her treatment, Dr Morris told the court.

RELATED: Our son was sick when he went into hospital, he was so much worse when we left

Pippa's family were at the Lincombe coroner's court on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Doctor treating toddler may have been suffering from fatigue

It wasn’t until Dr Buckmaster attended at the hospital hours later that he took over the toddler’s treatment. 

Dr Morris explained that he didn’t feel like his diagnosis of Pippa’s condition was “anchored” to a previous assessment. 

“I didn't feel like I'd closed my mind to this only being one thing,” he told the court. “I didn't feel anchored, but clearly, I made an error of judgment. If I'd have my time over, sure, I'd do anything to make some different decisions.” 

Dr Morris was questioned by Richard O'Keefe SC, who was representing Pippa’s parents, Brock and Annah, where he accepted he may have been suffering from fatigue after working a full shift the day before and being on call while treating Pippa. 

Deputy State Coroner Joan Baptie will consider whether Pippa’s treatment and care at the Orange Base Hospital was adequate and appropriate. 

Baptie will also be asked to consider any recommendations that the hospital could implement to prevent similar deaths in the future. 

The inquest will continue on Wednesday. 

Originally published as Doctor admits he made ‘an error of judgement’ after 2yo died in NSW hospital