Jury concludes boy died of natural causes

A five-year-old boy who suffered an invasive Strep A infection after being discharged from hospital died of natural causes, an inquest jury has concluded.

Jax Jefferys, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, died on 1 December 2022, the day after being released from Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth with a diagnosis of flu.

The jury delivered a unanimous conclusion that Jax died of "natural causes" following a week-long inquest.

Senior coroner Chris Wilkinson offered his condolences to the family and encouraged them to "remember and reflect on the lively, happy boy Jax was".

Jax became unwell on 27 November 2022 after waking during the night coughing and struggling to catch his breath, the court heard.

He was assessed by paramedics and later seen by a GP, who diagnosed croup linked to a viral infection and prescribed steroids.

After his condition failed to improve, he was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital on 30 November.

Jurors said that "all findings" from clinical examinations and observations carried out during his six-hour stay were "in line with a viral infection".

Jax tested positive for influenza A and was diagnosed with flu.

The jury found he received "supportive and appropriate treatment" and that "sufficient investigations were made".

Blood tests taken shortly before discharge showed "no definitive evidence of a bacterial infection or sepsis".

The following evening, on 1 December, his parents noticed Jax looked grey and complained of cold legs.

His parents drove him back to hospital and he arrived in cardiac arrest.

Despite 90 minutes of resuscitation attempts, he died later that evening.

A post-mortem examination later found he had Group A streptococcal sepsis.

Before ending the inquest, Wilkinson addressed Jax's parents directly, saying he was "desperately sorry" for their loss.

He said it was clear Jax was a "very much loved and wanted child" and an "incredibly loving and kind child himself".

Following the inquest, Steve Thomas, chief nursing officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, expressed condolences to the family for the "sudden and heartbreaking loss of a clearly much-loved little boy".

"Our staff are committed to providing safe, compassionate care to every patient," he said.

"We continue to strengthen how we listen to families and respond when concerns are raised.

"This includes, over the past year, increasing awareness of our outreach team, who can support families in escalating concerns if they feel someone is getting worse, helping us act as quickly as possible."

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