Morphine dosing scandal at Glasgow Children’s Hospital
A devastated couple are demanding answers, after their son received ten times less than the correct dose of morphine during open heart surgery.
Two-year-old Kai Campbell’s mum and dad have waived their right to anonymity, after learning he is one of seven children to fall victim the morphine dosing error at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
At 18 months old Kai underwent surgery to repair several defects caused by his congenital heart condition, Tetralogy of Fallot, but weeks after the surgery his parents were told he was given a tenth of the morphine dose that he should have had during and after the surgery. His parents say the signs were there, but staff never picked up on it.
DISTRESSED
Mum-of-three Shelby Wilson told our reporter: “Kai was supposed to be unconscious for two days after having surgery, but he was awake in recovery. He came down the hall from theatre awake and upset. He pulled out his tubes and there was blood everywhere.
“The staff were continuing to try and sedate him, and it wasn’t working. How do we know that wasn’t happening in surgery? Was he awake? He might have been, but we can’t get answers. We just thought it was normal, because we had never done this before. This was his first surgery.”
In a letter on the August 26 last year the medical team assured the family that Kai was comfortable following surgery and that his pain was well controlled despite the lower dose of 1mg morphine, rather than the intended 10mg, but Shelby and her fiancé Jordan claim this was not the case.
Shelby said: “I wouldn’t say that was true, because we were told to go home for a sleep at about midnight and had a phone call to come up at one o’clock in the morning – ten hours after surgery – because he was in distress.”
She showed our reporter videos where muffled whimpers can be heard from Kai, as he struggles in pain in this hospital bed in the hours following surgery. She said: “He was in so much pain and discomfort, looking back we just trusted them. We don’t know if he will be able to remember that the operation, the pain or the trauma.”
The family were told a meeting with the clinical team to discuss the incident was “not possible” in September 2024 and are now pursuing the complaint process and legal advice in a bid to have their questions answered.
NO TRUST
Dad Jordan Campbell took the initial and devastating call in August last year: “We want a face-to-face meeting, to speak to them and see why this happened. We want more information, why did this go wrong? On the phone they kept on saying, ‘we just missed it’ repeatedly. How can you miss this? They should have realised when he was awake and in pain. And how can they miss this not once, not twice, but multiple times. It doesn’t sit right with me.
“He will need more surgeries, but how can we trust them after this.”
DEVASTATING
It is understood that Kai has not been left with permanent problems or illness associated with the error.
The incident is subject to a Significant Adverse Event Review (SAER).
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “An error occurred following the introduction of our new medicines stock management system last year which resulted in a lower strength of analgesia being supplied to a theatre. This issue was promptly identified and corrected.
In the past 48 jours Shelby and Jordan have been offered a meeting to discuss their concerns about the care their son received.
Theo McAdam is a youngster from Aberdeen, who was also was also given a tenth of the morphine needed during heart surgery at the hospital on the same date that Kai was discharged.
Theo’s mum Ellie has reached out to Shelby and Jordan.
Amanda Crawford - Portfolio 
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