Court Decision on the Death of a Young Boy

Introduction

A judge says a three-year-old boy died in a Glasgow hospital. The judge says the boy might not have died if doctors acted faster.

Main Body

Archie Donald was a very sick boy. In November 2019, he went to the hospital. A blood test showed he had a bad infection. But the doctors did not check for the infection. They let the boy go home. The doctors did not follow the rules for his care. They did not talk to a special heart doctor. They also forgot to write the bad test result in his papers. Archie went back to the hospital on November 19. He looked pale and his heart was not working well. Doctors gave him medicine, but he died the next day. He had a serious infection in his blood.

Conclusion

The court says the hospital made mistakes. The hospital says they are changing their rules now to help other patients.

Learning

πŸ’‘ The 'No' Pattern (Negative Past)

To get to A2, you must master how to say things did not happen. Look at the text:

  • did not check
  • did not follow
  • did not talk

The Rule: did not + action word (simple form) β†’\rightarrow Past Negative

Notice that we don't say "did not checked." We keep the action word simple.


πŸ₯ Useful 'Health' Words

WordSimple Meaning
InfectionBad germs in the body
PaleSkin with no color (white/grey)
PatientA person in a hospital

πŸ” Quick Logic: 'Might'

The text says: "the boy might not have died if..."

Use might when you are not 100% sure. It is for possibilities.

Vocabulary Learning

judge (n.)
a person who decides a case in court
Example:The judge heard the arguments before making a decision.
hospital (n.)
a place where sick people are treated
Example:She stayed in the hospital for three days.
doctor (n.)
a person who treats patients
Example:The doctor examined the patient.
blood (n.)
the liquid in our body that carries oxygen
Example:The test looked at the patient's blood.
infection (n.)
a sickness caused by germs
Example:She had an infection in her wound.
rules (n.)
a set of instructions to follow
Example:The school has rules for behavior.
heart (n.)
the organ that pumps blood
Example:His heart beat fast during the run.
medicine (n.)
a drug used to treat illness
Example:She took medicine to cure the fever.
pale (adj.)
light or losing color
Example:He looked pale after the accident.
care (n.)
attention given to someone
Example:She gave him care after the surgery.