Kori Stovell: Mother calls for improved palliative care

Kori Stovell died earlier this month from a heart condition

A mother has called for improved palliative care services after feeling like her son was let down by the NHS.

Kori Stovell, from Ripley, Derbyshire, died on 9 July from a heart condition following two failed transplants.

The 11-year-old had his wish fulfilled when Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp sent him a video message.

Hospital bosses said a specialist children's palliative care nurse was being recruited and there were plans to offer more out-of-hours support.

Kori was on palliative care when he died at home on the Sunday night.

His mother Pixi Travers-Stovell said she was "very distressed" when she was told his body would not be collected until the following day.

"We were told that because the funeral directors were closed until Monday we had to keep Kori overnight," she said.

"If it wasn't for Rainbows Hospice really going to town for us and calling in a different funeral director, we would have had no choice.

"It was scary and devastating and it just makes me think, what would have happened if Kori had passed away on a Friday night?

"Would he have had to stay Saturday and all day Sunday and wait for Monday? It just doesn't bear thinking about."

Pixi Travers-Stovell said she was "very distressed" when she was told her son's body would have to stay at home overnight

Kori was receiving care from children's palliative care nurses at home from the Kids In Their Environment (KITE) team, run by the NHS, but Ms Travers-Stovell says this service did not offer him the psychological support that he needed.

The service runs from Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00 BST, and is then provided by adult palliative care nurses - between 18:00 to 00:00 - on weekdays, and from 08:00 to 00:00 on weekends.

Ms Travers-Stovell said: "In a way I think Kori was let down.

"He wasn't given perhaps the amount of care that he could have had at home."

Kori was able to get additional palliative care from Rainbows Hospice in neighbouring Leicestershire but Ms Travers-Stovell said it was a difficult journey for him to make.

"Kori had a lot of fears and he wrote them all down in books and he talked to me," Ms Travers-Stovell said.

"I think had he been given the opportunity to talk to somebody else who was specially trained, things would have been different for him."

Depp recorded a video message for Kori last year wishing him the best of luck

The NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board said it worked with local hospices to provide palliative care.

In a statement it said: "Recognising how important these services are, we are looking to soon commission an extension of the service which would provide further out-of-hours support.

"In addition, recruitment is currently under way for a new specialist children's palliative care nurse."