Mother's videos of dying toddler may be used to train junior doctors
Mobile phone videos of a dying toddler recorded by her mother during her care at two regional NSW hospitals could be used to train junior doctors to avoid other "preventable" deaths, an inquest has found.
Deputy State Coroner Joan Baptie made the recommendation today while delivering her findings from an inquest into the death of two-year-old Pippa Mae White at the Orange hospital in 2022.
Judge Baptie said that while the toddler died of "natural causes due to sepsis and bacterial pneumonia", it was due to "delayed diagnosis and treatment" and was "wholly preventable".
Annah White filmed nine short videos of her daughter's deteriorating condition from the time they presented at Cowra hospital on the afternoon of June 12 2022 until Pippa's death 18 hours later at Orange.
Pippa Mae White (right) with mother Annah White in June 2022. (Supplied: Annah White)
Ms White told the ABC she and her husband Brock were "so on board" with the recommendation.
"If it can help prevent the outcome that happened to Pippa [from happening] to other children, we're all for it," she said.
"I think the more junior doctors and nurses that can witness the videos and see that story of Pippa and the outcome, it can help in the future with early detection, earlier implementation of the sepsis pathway and a better outcome.
"That's what we were hoping for."
Pippa White in 2022. (Supplied: Annah White)
The inquest heard Pippa's symptoms should have triggered the "paediatric sepsis pathway" — a protocol that escalates medical oversight and shortens the time between reviews — but this did not happen in a timely manner.
Judge Baptie said the videos "proved to be invaluable" and were described by experts giving evidence as "striking" and showing "a clearly septic child".
"Without that primary source material, it is highly likely this inquest would have come to different conclusions," she said.
The inquest heard that Pippa's family had pushed for a coronial inquest after Orange Hospital determined her death was not reportable because it was not an "unexpected outcome".
Pippa Mae White (left) with uncle John and twin brother Leo in May 2022. (Supplied: Annah White)
Ms White said an experience with Pippa's twin Leo, who suffered a cardiac arrest at a young age, pushed her to write to the coroner asking for an investigation.
"Leo's been in an ICU environment and … I saw how well they worked and how great that outcome was," she said.
"Then I experienced, with Pippa, the opposite … it went so horribly wrong.
"My instincts were saying, 'This is not OK. We need to do something about it.'"
Judge Baptie said the Western NSW Local Health District supported the recommendation.
She said the videos should be provided to the Clinical Excellence Commission to "develop training for junior doctors working in emergency departments or paediatric wards".
Pippa White (front left) with her parents and siblings. (Supplied: Annah White)
For Ms White, the end of the inquest has meant the start of a new chapter advocating for better healthcare.
"We can get into the actual fixing part now and implementing some changes," she said.
"If you ever met Pippa, you would know it was easy to mother her and it's easy to fight for justice and to get some change in her honour.
"We're always surrounded in Pippa's love and she's talked about and she'll be missed forever and never forgotten."
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