Hospital officials have issued an apology after a coroner determined that an 11-week-old baby girl, Nova Maynard Parsons, died following delays in identifying and treating a life-threatening condition.
Nova passed away from small intestinal necrosis, caused by a bowel obstruction. While the coroner ruled her death as the result of natural causes, it was also concluded that delays and neglect contributed to her death. Nova’s father, Andy Parsons, 36, an IT support technician, expressed frustration, saying, “We wished the doctors had listened to our concerns. It didn’t feel like they took us seriously.”
Her mother, India Parsons, 29, a craft event coordinator, echoed the sentiment, stating, “We were made to feel like over-cautious parents. As parents, we know when something isn’t right with our child.”
The family was unaware that Nova’s condition was critical until it was almost too late. Nova’s grandmother, Steph Maynard, spoke out after the inquest, saying that only one surgeon had clearly warned the family that Nova was close to death. She stressed, “It has to be said plainly so that parents understand.”
The inquest, which took place over four days at the Coroner’s Court in Horsham, concluded that Nova’s death could have been prevented with earlier intervention. The senior coroner for West Sussex and Brighton and Hove, Penelope Schofield, stated that Nova had been transferred to Southampton General Hospital on 11 March 2020, after being initially treated at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. By the time Nova’s condition was properly assessed, surgery was urgently needed, but the delays were a factor in her death.
The coroner found that there was a failure to perform timely surgery and a lack of adequate medical attention. “There was a gross failure to provide basic medical care,” Schofield said.
Nova was born on 23 December 2019, two weeks overdue, at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. She underwent surgery for a rare but treatable bowel issue on Christmas Eve and spent the first month of her life in the hospital. Her parents were hopeful that Nova would recover fully.
However, on 6 March 2020, after a fall at home, Nova became unsettled and started vomiting. Her parents took her to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, where she was admitted overnight. Despite initial diagnoses of gastroenteritis, Nova’s condition continued to worsen, but her parents felt their concerns were dismissed.
A serious incident review highlighted medical errors, including cognitive bias and human error, which led to missed opportunities for timely surgery. Mrs. Parsons told the inquest, “It felt like no one was taking responsibility for Nova.”
The review also pointed out failures in observing Nova’s condition and inconsistent record-keeping, which delayed proper intervention. A doctor did eventually recognize the need for surgery, but by that time, Nova’s condition had deteriorated to a critical level.
Nova was eventually transferred to Southampton for intensive care, but by the time a consultant surgeon spoke to the family, it was clear that Nova’s chances of survival were slim. The family made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw life support, and Nova passed away in her mother’s arms.
After the inquest, University Hospitals Sussex’s deputy chief executive, Andy Heeps, offered condolences to the family, saying, “We deeply regret that Nova did not receive the care she should have, and we are sorry for her loss.” He confirmed that changes had been made to improve pediatric care and prevent future errors.
Mrs. Parsons shared her pain, stating, “It’s unbearable to know that Nova’s life could have been saved with proper care. We wanted to have a memorial for her, but due to COVID, we couldn’t. Losing her at just 11 weeks old is something we’ll never recover from.”
Despite the changes in procedure, Mrs. Parsons stressed that the lessons learned came at a high price. “We don’t want another family to go through this, but we didn’t have Nova for the NHS to learn from,” she said.
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