Parents of boy, three, who died after routine appointment at Stafford Hospital vow to fight on

Those are the words of 29-year-old Cannock mother April Keeling who is still searching for answers after her three-year-old boy died unexpectedly at Stafford Hospital more than a year ago.

There will be a new inquest into the death of Jonnie Meek, who died within three hours of being admitted to the hospital on August 11, 2014 after attending a routine appointment.

But consultant paediatrician Dr Martin Farrier, who is investigating the case, has now concluded it is likely the youngster died after having a reaction to new milk feed – as the family suspected all along – and not pneumonia, which was originally recorded by a coroner.

The verdict is set to be quashed but even that might not be enough for Miss Keeling or Jonnie's father John Meek, 42, who said questions surrounding his son's death kept him awake at night.

The couple, of Bevan Lee Road, believe staff missed vital warning signs which could have prevented him from dying including previous bad reactions to the milk where he had projectile-vomited.

Miss Keeling said: "Mentally I can't move on. Even if we have another verdict we will still be in the same situation apart from people knowing we were telling the truth the whole time.

"But I need people to know Jonnie was left to fight by himself. If we get a new death certificate that is still not justice to me. Nobody has been held to account for what happened. We have never said the staff killed him but if they had held up their hands and admitted they made a mistake then we would not be here now. We would have been able to grieve with them."

Dr Farrier's report found 'no evidence' to support the family's theory Jonnie's death was covered up and instead concluded that information released to them had been 'unhelpful and confusing'. Mr Meek was not at the hospital when his son died as it was April who took him in. His main complaint is that Jonnie was deprived of the close supervision whilst switching to the new milk.

He said: "I still can't believe it now. I bathed him myself that day, he was perfect. I remember him looking up at me. The next time I saw him in the hospital he was dead."

A new inquest may be a step towards finally being able to move on but they fear it is more likely to be the start of another long road ahead.

Mr Robert Courteney-Harris, medical director at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which has taken over running the hospital, said: "I would like to offer our sincere condolences." He said investigations had been thorough and swift.