Two-Day Inquest Into Death Of National Chess Champion Found It “More Likely Than Not” Death Could Have Been Prevented

The parents of a gifted nine-year-old who died following an asthma attack days after they begged hospital staff not to discharge him, have called for lessons to be learned following an inquest into his death.

National Chess Champion Michael Uriely, died following an asthma attack on August 25, 2015 - five days after his frantic parents Roy and Ayelet twice rushed him to The Royal Free Hospital after he suffered violent coughing and vomiting fits.

After Michael’s death, Roy and Ayelet, from Camden, London, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to examine his care under two NHS GPs at St John’s Wood Medical Practice, a private consultant paediatrician and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, including a doctor’s decision to discharge the youngster on August 20 despite their pleas to keep him in for observation and treatment.

A two-day inquest held Westminster Coroner’s Court before HM Coroner Shirley Radcliffe today concluded that Michael suffered a worsening of his asthma control in 2014, leading to an admission to the Royal free Hospital in January 2015 with a severe asthma attack.

Following discharge, “the chronic nature of his condition was not recognised.”

Delivering a narrative verdict, Mrs Radcliffe said: “An admission to the Royal Free Hospital on 19th August 2015 should have led to a recognition of the enduring chronicity and severity of his asthma. However he was considered well enough to be discharged on 20th August 2015.

“Had he remained in hospital on a high dose of oral steroids and been referred for a specialist respiratory paediatric opinion, it is more likely than not that his death on 25th August would have been prevented.”

The inquest heard that there were numerous opportunities to treat Michael in the months before he died of chronic asthma.

He was taken to the Royal Free twice in the days before his death after he suffered violent coughing and vomiting fits which left him struggling to breathe.

In the months before his death he was also seen by NHS GPs, as well as having private doctor appointments.

The inquest heard that hospital paediatrician Dr Sherine Dewlett who treated the nine-year-old days before he died from chronic asthma failed to investigate his full medical history and did not appreciated the level of his mother’s concern.

The inquest heard that Michael’s mother Ayelet felt strongly that her son was denied basic care. As early as February that year, Mrs Uriely asked a doctor about the chances of her son dying as she felt his condition was deteriorating. She told the inquest she was assured Michael “was not in this category”.

Following the inquest today Ayelet, 52, said: “Michael was an extraordinary boy, both in personality and intelligence who came to us after four gruelling years of fertility treatment. He doted on his younger twin sisters, who adored him, and always joined in with their games.

“Michael was highly gifted with a tendency to excel; as a toddler he taught himself to read and write. He enjoyed challenging himself with activities more common to school children than those his own age. His IQ may have put him in the top 0.3 per cent of the population, but he was as sporty as he was academic. He delighted in every moment on the sports field playing football, cricket and tennis where he was as gracious in defeat as he was in victory.

“It seems clear to us and others who knew him well that Michael had an exceptional life ahead of him which, if his brief childhood was anything to go by, he would have relished.

“He was a wonderful son to us whose sweetness of character and remarkable abilities made our lives complete and we are devastated beyond words over his unexpected and tragic death.

“Following his death we were not only wracked with unbearable grief but were overwhelmed by questions as to how Michael died.

“We feel the inquest has finally provided some of the answers they have been seeking since Michael’s sudden and unexpected death in 2015. We welcome the coroner’s commitment to use her powers under Regulation 28 of the Coroner’s Act to instigate a report that will raise the issue of preventable paediatric asthma deaths at a national level.

“We hope that lessons are learned so no other child’s life is cut short as Michael’s was and no other parent feels the same despair we have.”

Michael, who was diagnosed with asthma when he was two-and-a-half-years-old began learning how to play chess just six months later, competing at local, regional and then national level as he grew up, winning the title of National Chess Champion for his age group at both eight and nine years of age.

In the months before his death, Michael’s asthma attacks had grown more frequent and he had developed frequent coughing fits which lasted between five and 10 minutes and left him struggling to breathe.

He was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital on the afternoon of August 18 but was discharged shortly after arrival. His parents returned to hospital where he was re-admitted in the early hours of August 19 after a bout of severe coughing and vomiting at home. He was discharged again on August 20 and died five days later after annual board games festival, the Mind Sports Olympiad, where he had been competing. The competition had to be stopped short due to Michael’s fits of severe coughing.

Friends and fellow chess players paid tribute to the exceptional youngster with a memorial chess tournament on April 17 last year, a month after what would have been his 10th birthday on March 14. The event, hosted by Michael's School, Westminster Under, raised almost £10,000 for charity Asthma UK and the Super Rapidplay at the London Chess Classic 2016 was dedicated to his memory.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to a delayed or misdiagnosed medical condition, our clinical negligence solicitors could help you claim compensation. See our Medical Misdiagnosis Claims page for more information.