A FAMILY say their young son might still be alive if he had not been released from hospital while being treated for an e-coli infection.

An inquest heard yesterday that The University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, had instituted changes in procedure following an investigation into the death of two-year-old Thomas Oakes.

Thomas, of Murray Park, Stanley, County Durham, suffered a cardiac arrest at the hospital in August 2008 and died despite efforts to resuscitate him.

He had been rushed to the hospital by ambulance after suffering a prolonged seizure at home, having previously been admitted to the hospital’s Treetops ward because of gastro-enteritis caused by ecoli 0157, which he may have contracted while on holiday in Cornwall.

Thomas was kept in hospital for a day because he had been vomiting and had had a vacant episode.

After a day in hospital he was allowed home, but no follow- up appointment was made and there had been no monitoring of the urine he was producing, a possible indicator of kidney damage that could be caused by haemolytic- uraemic syndrome (Hus), which can follow e-coli infections in children.

When he was brought back he was described as being extremely ill and needed stabilisation because his body had shut down through shock.

Paediatrician Dr Heather Smith said: “It was felt by our local case discussion and the child death overview panel that there were things that could have been done better.’’ Changes made after the tragedy included giving staff information on Hus, daily blood and urine monitoring, more “robust arrangements’’ for follow-up appointments and changes to discharge arrangements County Durham Assistant Coroner Graham Hunsley gave a narrative verdict that Thomas’s death was related to the infection.

He said: “Given what I have heard, I don’t consider it necessary for me to make any formal recommendations.’’ Afterwards, Thomas’s parents Paula, 36, a radiologist, and Michael, 32, a baker, said they felt their son might have survived if things had been done differently.

Mrs Oakes said: “I don’t feel like he should have been going home.’’ Her husband said: “They were saying it was our decision, but I wasn’t there and we couldn’t make a joint decision.

I trusted the doctors had done their job right and that Thomas was well enough to go home and there wouldn’t be any further complications.’’ The couple, who have another son, Hayden, two-and-ahalf, and a daughter, Robyn, five months, are considering legal action.