A month-old girl suffered cardiac arrest and died after doctors made a 'mistake' by giving her heart medication, while parents say the tragedy was their 'worst nightmare imaginable'

A one-month-old girl went into cardiac arrest and died after doctors made 'a mistake' while administering drugs to treat an irregular heartbeat.

Parents Amber Cutts, 36, and Lee Clayton, 29, have spoken of their 'worst nightmare imaginable' after little Orla died just an hour after being given adenosine.

The toddler had been taken to a doctor 24 hours earlier after she started feeling sick after feedings and appeared to be uncomfortable.

The couple were advised to keep an eye on their daughter and the next day Amber called the NHS 111 helpline and attended an out-of-hours GP appointment.

They were referred to the hospital where Orla was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), in which the heart suddenly beats much faster than normal.

She was prescribed adenosine to treat her irregular heartbeat but doctors made an 'error' while administering the drug, a pre-trial inquiry was told last year.

Within just minutes of being given adenosine in a high dependency unit, Orla went into cardiac arrest and was tragically pronounced dead about an hour later.

Devastated Amber and Lee, from Tibshelf, Derbys, are now demanding answers ahead of their daughter's inquest, which starts next week.

Lee, head of IT at a car manufacturer, says: 'When Orla was transferred to HDU, we were advised to wait in a separate area.

'We said goodbye to Orla before we left. I remember giving Orla a kiss and telling her to be brave and strong, that daddy was there and that we would be back soon.

'That was the last time we saw Orla awake and it is a memory that haunts us every day.

'I'm not the least bit religious, but I remember waiting in a room and praying, 'Can she please be okay?'

'When Orla died, it was beyond our worst nightmare. We got Orla because we wanted to hold her.

'I have no idea how long we sat there, we just sat there hugging, crying, talking and singing to her.

'Leaving the hospital was absolutely crippling. We tried to leave the room about five times, but it didn't quite work because we didn't want Orla to be alone.

“We asked who would be with her, and a nice lady who took Orla's handprints promised that she would stay with Orla until she finished her shift.

'When we left the hospital, I was carrying Orla's car seat and I knew it was too light because she wasn't in it.

'I felt completely devastated as I drove home and remember thinking it was the same way we drove home when we brought her home from the hospital a month earlier when she was born.

“To this day, we remember moments that hold us back. Little things like going to the supermarket and seeing or hearing something brings everything back.

“The first time I went to a toy store with Archie after we lost Orla, I remember walking down the little girls aisle and my heart sank.”

Amber, a self-employed hairdresser, added: 'The day Orla died changed our lives forever.

'It is almost impossible to find words to describe the pain we live with every day.

'Orla was the most adorable little girl and we feel so blessed that she is our daughter, but we want more than anything that she can still be with us today.

'We will forever cherish the time we spent with her, but we are devastated that she is no longer with us, growing, developing and causing mischief with her brothers.

“Nothing will ever fill the void in our lives left by Orla's death.

'Although the years have passed, the pain of losing Orla has not been eased.

'We know that the inquest and listening to the evidence will be extremely disturbing, but it is something we must do to at least commit answers to Orla's memory; we promised her that.

“The inquest is something we have been pushing for for the past three years.”

The hearing will examine what care Orla – who had two brothers, Archie and Jude, aged ten and two – received, including in the days before her death in July 2020.

On July 10, 2020, Amber called a doctor because she was concerned that Orla had run out of nutrition, was feeling uncomfortable and was sick.

The next morning, Amber, who remained concerned about Orla, called NHS 111. A personal GP appointment was made for later that afternoon.

Following the appointment, Orla was admitted to Chesterfield Royal Hospital just after 4pm.

At 4:55 PM, SVT was confirmed and Orla was transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU).

She was given adenosine around 6:30 p.m. Shortly afterwards, Orla's condition began to deteriorate, and within minutes she went into cardiac arrest.

Orla was pronounced dead at 7:45 p.m.

Laura Robinson, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is representing the family, said: 'Amber, Lee and the rest of Orla's family remain devastated by her tragic death and the circumstances surrounding it.

'It is understandable that they still have some questions. While nothing can bring Orla back, the inquest is an important milestone in providing the answers they deserve.

“If during the course of the investigation any issues are identified in the care Orla received, it is critical that lessons are learned to improve patient safety.”

The inquest into Orla's death will begin at Chesterfield Coroner's Court on Monday and is expected to last five days.