Parents of nine-month-old girl who died after ‘breathing in diesel fumes from hospital construction work which leaked into her incubator’ win five-year battle for an inquest into the tragedy

• Annie-Jo Mountcastle died six months after developing a lung condition 

Parents who believe their twin baby girl died as a direct result of breathing in diesel fumes via an open hospital window have won a five-year battle to launch an inquest into her death.  

Annie-Jo Mountcastle and her sister Florence-Rose were born 12 weeks premature at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital in Bodelwyddan, Wales, in February 2017 – weighing just 2lb 1oz and 2lb 2oz respectively. 

They both spent three months in an incubator, during which time the hospital was constructing a brand new £18m neonatal intensive care centre. 

The sisters developed chronic lung conditions and little Annie-Jo was found dead in her cot at home six months after being discharged from hospital, aged just nine months. 

Annie-Jo’s parents – Amy Dean and David Mountcastle – believe red diesel fumes from the construction work infiltrated their daughter’s incubator and ultimately led to her fatal health complications. 

Annie-Jo Mountcastle (pictured) and her sister Florence-Rose were born 12 weeks premature at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital in Bodelwyddan, Wales, in February 2017 – weighing just 2lb 1oz and 2lb 2oz respectively

Annie-Jo’s mother believes red diesel fumes from the construction work infiltrated her daughter’s incubator and ultimately led to her fatal health complications 

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Coroner John Gittins has now ordered a full investigation to discover if ‘the pollutants more than minimally contributed to Annie-Jo’s death.’

An earlier investigation was held into their claims by the local health board but NHS chiefs insisted ‘no harm’ had been caused to them.

A report from Professor Sailesh Kotecha, professor and head of child health at Cardiff University, and Professor Jonathan Grigg, professor of paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary, University of London, investigated the tragedy.

The professor said that the assessment of the works should have been more robust – and their report ‘vindicated the parents’ concerns that their twins were likely exposed to air pollution.’

But it added there was no evidence to suggest it was the cause of Annie-Jo’s tragic death.

A hearing at Ruthin County Hall was told the cause of Annie-Jo’s death at home in Llanfair Talhaiarn, near Abergele, remains unascertained and that a full inquest will be held in due course.

Coroner Gittins said: ‘The parents remain at the heart of my investigation. It is far, far too long for them to wait to try and get answers.’

Mr Gittins added that evidence indicated ‘significant exposure’ to diesel fumes during the baby’s neonatal stage.

But he said there is ‘no objective evidence that this had long-term effects on the respiratory system’.

The couple said the twins’ ‘eyes were swollen’ after they were born and they were diagnosed with chronic lung disease at 28 days old.

The family’s legal representative Janine Wolstenholme said Annie-Jo had a compromised respiratory system when she was further exposed to the fumes.

She said an incubator into which she was placed may have ‘exacerbated her exposure to the fumes’ rather than acted as a barrier.

Coroner John Gittins has now ordered a full investigation to discover if ‘pollutants more than minimally contributed to Annie-Jo’s death’ (Pictured: Annie-Jo, right, and her sister Florence-Rose)

She added: ‘One of the major concerns from Ms Mountcastle’s parents is the extent of that ingress of fumes.

‘These girls were suffering with swellings and respiratory symptoms that might ordinarily look like colds, but the parents’ genuine belief is that the symptomatology related to exposure from pollution.’

She continued: ‘From the parents’ point of view, it’s not just about whether fumes caused her death, it’s whether fumes led to additional clinical treatment which exacerbated an already respiratory compromised baby.’

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and BAM Construction – the company who built the £18m neonatal intensive care centre at the Bodelwyddan hospital – both had legal representatives at the hearing.

Both are expected to be represented when the full inquest is held later in the year into the baby’s death on November 17, 2017.

Colin Moore, representing BAM Construction, said that there is ‘obviously a gap in terms of causation’, and that the firm contests the extent of the alleged exposure.

An earlier investigation was held into their claims by the local health board but NHS chiefs insisted ‘no harm’ had been caused to them by the construction works (pictured)

He said that Professors Kotecha and Grigg, when writing their report, ‘did not have the complete picture, but seemed willing to make assumptions and form conclusions based on those assumptions’.

Within the next eight weeks, the coroner has instructed BAM to provide a statement detailing the nature of the project, its timescale, what works were conducted, the specifics of the machinery used and the health and safety assessments undertaken.

Twin Florence-Rose is now a lively five-year-old – although her parents, who have since parted, say she was ‘always looking for her sister’ when she was a baby.

After the hearing, Annie-Jo’s father, David Mountcastle, said: ‘We’re just waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel at this stage. It’s been six years now since Annie-Jo died and we’re still waiting for answers.

‘Hopefully we won’t have to wait for too much longer now – we’re both very grateful to the coroner for his work and we look forward to finally be able to this to bed when the inquest comes.’

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