Hearing To Examine Care Five-Year-Old Shay Turner Received In Hospital

The grieving parents of a five-year-old boy who died four days after being admitted to hospital have revealed their hope that an upcoming inquest will provide answers regarding his death.

Shay Martyn Turner was admitted to Rotherham General Hospital on 30 March, 2018, after he became unwell with abdominal pains, vomiting and an inability to urinate. He became critically ill and was transferred to another hospital.

He died on 3 April, 2018, after suffering a brain injury.

An inquest examining the circumstances surrounding Shay’s death and the care he received is now due to start on Monday.

Shay’s family, including parents Martyn and Laura, of Rawmarsh, Rotherham, will be represented by specialist lawyers from Irwin Mitchell during the inquest.

Expert Opinion

“This is a truly heart-breaking case and Martyn, Laura and the rest of Shay’s family understandably remain devastated by the awful loss that they suffered.

“The family have faced a long wait for answers regarding the events that unfolded in the lead up to Shay’s death. They continue to have a number of concerns about the care Shay received after he was initially admitted to hospital and hope that the inquest will provide them with the vital answers they deserve.

“If during the course of the hearing any issues are identified it is important that lessons are learned to improve patient care.” Tania Harrison - Partner

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling medical negligence cases  

Shay was transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for emergency surgery the morning after he was admitted to Rotherham General Hospital. Doctors diagnosed he had suffered a catastrophic brain injury.

Shay’s parents took the decision to withdraw his life support on 3 April on the advice of doctors.

Martyn and Laura, aged 29 and 28, had married eight weeks before Shay’s death.

Laura said: “Shay was the most adorable little boy. He had the most wonderful smile and enjoyed football and playing with his brother.

“Seeing him in hospital as he tried to fight for life was absolutely horrible. We didn’t want to let him go but once the doctors told us how poorly he was we had no choice.

“Saying goodbye to Shay was the most heart-breaking decision we will ever have to make and it is something that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

“Our grief has been made worse by not knowing the full picture of what happened to our beautiful boy. While time may have moved on since Shay’s death, our family hasn’t.

“We have so many concerns about what happened to him once he went into hospital. While we know nothing can ever bring him back our family at least deserves to know how we lost our wonderful little boy.”

Shay also leaves behind brother, Finnley, aged nine.

An inquest is due to start at Doncaster Coroner’s Court on Monday, 7 October, and is listed for five days.