Hadleigh girl in 'nightmare' care package battle with hospital goes home

Lovelle Treadwell is finally heading home after her parents Sarah and Greg secured a care package for her at home

A three-year-old girl at the centre of a "nightmare" care dispute is home from hospital after more than 200 days.

Lovelle Treadwell, three, had respiratory failure but was fit for discharge from Southend Hospital.

However, her parents said she did not have an appropriate care package in place and needed medically qualified staff to help her overnight.

Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board said "arrangements to facilitate" her discharge had now been reached.

Her mother, Sarah Treadwell, said previously if Lovelle received the appropriate care package "she could thrive, she could have a nice life".

Lovelle's parents Sarah and Greg Treadwell said they felt the only way to keep their daughter safe was to refuse her discharge

The girl from Hadleigh, Essex has cerebral palsy and was admitted to intensive care at Southend Hospital after suffering respiratory failure overnight on 9 September.

She needs around-the-clock care and is at constant risk of respiratory failure as a result of oxygen complications at birth.

After a short time in hospital, she was ready for discharge on 13 October.

A company, funded by the NHS, offered a carer for the family between 22:00 and 07:00 each night at home and for eight hours during the day between Monday and Thursday.

Lovelle's parents said they had various concerns about the package and wanted medically trained carers as they felt "unsafe" to take her home.

Lovelle's parents praised the staff at Southend Hospital for the ongoing care of their daughter

They have now resolved their dispute and Lovelle has been able to leave hospital.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday evening her father Greg Treadwell said Lovelle's siblings were very excited to have her back home.

"We've been effectively living apart for such a long period of time, it's hard to explain the pressure... so many meetings, so much correspondence, the amount of work we've had to do with our MP, our advocate, who has been brilliant," he said.

"The toll it puts on you, it's one thing having a complex child and looking after that child but having all this process, paperwork and fighting."

Mr Treadwell spoke of the emotions of being home with the matter resolved.

"It's a bit surreal, the sheer joy of finally being able to do this. There were no guarantees we could achieve this."

Mrs Treadwell described the last seven months as "a nightmare".

The Treadwell family leaving hospital

The family now have a new care provider and hope lessons would be learnt from their experience.

A spokesman for Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board said: "We are not able to comment on an individual patient's care package publicly but we are pleased to report progress with arrangements to facilitate the discharge of Lovelle from hospital.

"We will continue to work closely with Mr and Mrs Treadwell with the best interests of their daughter at the heart of all decision making."