British boy, 3, dies after hospital computer delays heart treatment

A 3-year-old boy died in a Bristol, England, hospital after a new computer system failed to schedule him for a vital heart scan, a coroner ruled. Samuel Starr, born with a congenital heart defect, received surgery shortly after birth in 2010. He required regular tests to check his progress but received his first 20 months later because of a delay following the introduction of a new National Health Service computer system, Avon Coroner Maria Voisin said in a ruling Wednesday following a three-day inquest. At his eventual doctor's appointment, it was found he required additional surgery, and had a stroke during the procedure, dying a month later, the Mirror reported. "Due to the failure of the hospital outpatients' booking system, there was a five-month delay in Samuel being seen and seeking treatment," Voisin's report said. Changes in procedure at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children have already been implemented, the Mirror reported.