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A SCHOOLBOY who missed his vital medication for two weeks died of massive organ failure, an inquest revealed.


At the hearing into 12-year-old Jamie Gosling’s death at Liverpool Coroners Court, his father, Mark, said he had not supervised Jamie’s twice-daily medication for a chronic bowel condition throughout the fortnight before the boy’s cardiac arrest.


After evidence from doctors stated it was the parent’s responsibility to supervise treatment – and that when Jamie was admitted to hospital his stomach was so distended he looked “like a pregnant woman”– Coroner Andre Rebello cited lack of medication as part of the official verdict. Mr Rebello said Tytherington High School pupil Jamie, who suffered from chronic constipation nearly all his life, died from “natural causes, in part because he was not taking his Movicol paediatric medication as required”.


Mark, who lived with his son at Ryles Close, told the inquest he had a large stock of Movicol and Jamie was “bright enough” to take it himself.


When asked by Mr Rebello if he had been monitoring Jamie’s bowel movements, or supervising his medication, he replied: “No, I’m going to have to say no, to be honest.


But there was no reason to believe there was anything going on.”


Manchester United fan Jamie, who had a sister Nikki, 20, and brother Chris, 18, was admitted to Macclesfield Hospital in April complaining of stomach ache and later collapsed into a six day coma.He was transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, but died without ever regaining consciousness.


The coroner said Jamie died as a result of multi-organ failure and brain damage caused by bowel obstruction with massive distension of the abdomen.


The inquest heard Mark had not picked up a prescription for Jamie from his doctor since June 2006, and the boy – who lost his mum to cancer when he was just five-years-old – had missed his last two hospital appointments.


But the dad-of-three, who was represented by his solicitor Jeremy Roussak, told the inquest: “I had a lot of his medication in stock, when I picked up a prescription, it was like going to Tesco’s – I’d get a big bag full. And Jamie always took his own medication.”


Anaesthetist Michael Fish, who treated Jamie at Macclesfield Hospital, told the inquest he had already lost 90 per cent of his kidney function when he arrived at hospital, and was border-line anaemic.


Dr Katina Marinaki, consultant paediatrician at Macclesfield Hospital, who treated Jamie regularly said: “It is the parent’s responsibility to give the children their medication.


“It should be discussed with their doctor if they decide to discontinue their medication.”


Dr Loveday Jago, consultant paediatrician at Macclesfield Hospital, said on admission Jamie had respiratory difficulties and looked very unwell.


She said: “He had the biggest abdomen I have ever seen in my time as a doctor. He looked like a pregnant woman and his stomach was tense.


“We were discussing his case all the time because it was so unusual. I realised this boy was too unwell to remain at Macclesfield and that everything about his condition warranted anaesthetic.”


Jamie was initially referred to Manchester, but they did not have an available retrieval team so was taken to a theatre recovery room at Macclesfield Hospital to be anaesthetised, at which point he had a cardiac arrest.


Doctors fought to bring back a pulse for 40 minutes, by which time there was said to be serious kidney, liver, heart and brain damage.
Anaesthetist Michael Fish said: “At least three organ systems were in failure.”


After the inquest, a Cheshire County Council spokesman said: “Jamie and his family had throughout received full support from social care services – at the request of his family and from his school.


“Both were shocked and extremely saddened by the tragic death of a likeable young boy.”


He added: “Responsibility for his medical care was of course vested in the health agencies.


“It would, therefore, be inappropriate for us to comment on this issue. Neither would we make any comment inferring blame which did not form any part of the coroner’s findings.”


Speaking after the inquest, Mark, whose girlfriend, Julie Saunders, 48, is a retired nurse, said: “He seemed fine for the two weeks before, right as rain, and playing football.


“You can always reminisce, and think ‘did I not do this or that’, but he was fine until that Saturday night.


“He was bright as a button and knew how to take his medication, you can’t watch your kids 24 hours a day.


“This is such a sad scenario. He had the world at his feet and nothing can bring him back now.”


Sister Nikki, a nanny who lives with Chris and boyfriend Mike, 23, on Pitt Street, has not spoken to her father since Jamie’s ashes were scattered at Old Trafford four months ago.