Mum of baby who died in hospital says staff ‘didn’t take her concerns seriously’

A seven-month-old boy who died at an NHS hospital ‘wasn’t safe’ in its care, his mother has told an inquest.

Tommy Kneebone died from an undiagnosed heart problem at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, Kent, in January 2023.

Tommy’s mum, Shanice Kneebone, had taken him to her local GP and A&E several times over the previous months.

He was prescribed antibiotics for a respiratory illness after developing a cough in October 2022, and given another course along with an inhaler in December that year.

In footage taken by Shanice that day played to the inquest, the boy could be heard coughing and wheezing heavily.

The wheeze went away over Christmas but his cough ‘persisted’, the inquest heard. On January 19 the usually ‘smiley, happy baby’ was taken to hospital by his mum as he was not ta