Inquiry into teen's hospital death

Matt Gunter died in November 2012 from a brain injury caused by a lack of blood flow and oxygen while he was recovering from emergency surgery.

Police have confirmed an investigation is underway into the death of teenager Matthew Gunter at Grey Base hospital.

A police spokeswoman said yesterday the investigation had begun but declined to comment further. "We are not in a position to discuss the detail of that investigation. No charges have been laid," Tasman District communications manager Barbara Dunn said.

Matthew "Matt" Gunter died in November 2012 from a brain injury caused by a lack of blood flow and oxygen while he was recovering from emergency surgery.

The Nelson College boarder from Greymouth on the West Coast had had his appendix removed at his home-town hospital. After surgery, he had a "laryngospasm", in which the vocal cord muscles tighten, closing the airway. The lungs keep sucking and the negative pressure pulls fluid into them.

Matt was on supplemental oxygen overnight in Grey Base Hospital's children's ward. The sole nurse turned off his oxygen saturation level monitoring machine at 5am - as she had to attend to another patient - and did not assess him again until 6.30am, when she found him in respiratory arrest. Resuscitation was attempted and Matt was flown to Christchurch Hospital's intensive care unit. He died there days later.

Releasing his report on the case on Tuesday, Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill said two nurses, an anaesthetist and their employer, the West Coast District Health Board, had breached the Code of Patients' Rights. He did not publicly name the health staff.

Mr Hill notified the Nursing Council of both nurses' names and the Medical Council of the doctor's, and referred the night nurse to the prosecutor in his office for a decision on whether to take disciplinary proceedings. He said both nurses had shown a lack of critical thinking.