Christian Hobbs death: Peterborough hospital inquest adjourned

The inquest has heard Christian Hobbs had an undiagnosed heart disease

An inquest into the death of a teenage boxer has been adjourned until April.

Christian Hobbs, 17, died suddenly at Peterborough City Hospital on Boxing Day 2017.

A coroner heard Christian, a boarder at Rugby School, had an unidentified heart condition, but may have been misdiagnosed with sepsis in A&E.

The family's lawyers have asked that further medical professionals are tracked down to give evidence when the hearing resumes.

The inquest has examined the level of available care and training provided at Peterborough City Hospital

The two-week inquest at Peterborough Town Hall heard that Christian experienced flu-like symptoms on the evening of Christmas Day.

He was rushed to hospital by his parents the following afternoon when his grandfather, a retired consultant surgeon in orthopaedic trauma, said he measured his pulse rate at 240bpm.

Senior coroner David Heming was told doctors in the emergency department diagnosed sepsis.

Dr Katherine Mortimore, who was the critical care consultant for the department that night, said: "We know now that Christian had cardiomyopathy, and the only treatment available would have been a heart transplant."

Christian started complaining of flu-like symptoms on the evening of Christmas Day, 2017

Ms Mortimore told the coroner that no cardiologist was available that evening because it was a Bank Holiday.

The teenager was taken to the A&E resuscitation room but died shortly before midnight.

The inquest was examining the cause of death, training protocols and communication between staff at the hospital.

'Not complying'

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, was asked to identify nurses who interacted with Christian's electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor.

"There is a reason to get on with this sooner rather than later because there may be an identification issue in relation to the nurse," said the family's lawyer, Edward Ramsay, who also wants to hear from a former trust doctor who is still registered with the General Medical Council.

"We have a doctor who is not complying to any communication or emails from this court which is a very serious matter."

The inquest at Peterborough Town Hall, in front of senior coroner David Heming, is due to resume in April 2023

Mr Heming said he will review all the evidence so far, and could take more statements from as many as 16 witnesses when it resumes on 3 April.