A ten-year-old boy is receiving help after he and his family had to spend their Christmas at a hospital away from home.

Liam Murphy, 10, had to spend his Christmas in hospital in London as he urgently needed intravenous treatment. Liam has various conditions including down syndrome, epilepsy and chronic lung disease.

On December 19, Liam was facing a serious chest infection, which he required high dependency care, high flow oxygen and intense physiotherapy.

After around 10 hours in the emergency department at Watford General Hospital, Gary Murphy, the father, believed Liam was transferred to St Mary’s Hospital, London, as the Starfish Ward was at “full capacity”.

Mr Murphy spoke in response to reports in The Guardian that Children’s Intensive Care Units were full just days before Christmas, citing his travel problems to St Mary’s Hospital due to it being difficult to park in the area.

He said: “As the father of a child affected by this situation, it is clear things have to change.

“With no public transport on Christmas Day, it can be very isolating.

“We are fortunate we could afford a local hotel so that while one of us stayed with Liam, the other parent and our daughter could go to the hotel, so we didn’t have to spend Christmas that far apart. This isn’t an option for all.”

The Murphy family then had to spend their Christmas week, including Christmas Day, at St Mary’s Hospital rather than at a hospital nearer to home.

His mother, Angelina Murphy, said: “We have to go to the hospital quite regularly, so it was inevitable we would have to go during Christmas one time, that wasn’t the problem.

“For us the issue was that we had to spend Christmas away from Watford.”

West Hertfordshire Trust deputy chief nurse David Thorpe has clarified the reason Liam had to be transferred.

He said: “Our nursing levels on the children’s ward were the same over Christmas as any other time of the year.

“Decisions about admitting patients are not just about staffing numbers and beds – we have to carefully consider what each and every patient needs and if we think we are unable to safely provide the right level of higher care, then we would work with out hospitals to find the safest alternative option.

“When managing the care of very unwell patients, we have to put medical needs over the wish to be treated locally and sometimes this means that patients are seen elsewhere.

“We try to avoid this, but safety will always be our priority.”

Starfish Ward holds 20 beds for patients up to the age of 16 years.

Due to the regular treatments Liam requires, he has received frequent support from West Herts Hospitals Trust, including going into cardiac arrest at Starfish Ward and being saved by staff in April 2019.

West Herts Trust have urged all parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated, as issues like a flu brings extra pressure to the wards.

On Boxing Day, the trust contacted the family and said Liam could be sent to Watford General Hospital, which he spent part of his New Years at.

The parents hoped that Liam would be able to leave Watford General today, but his conditions have ‘deteriorated’. 

Despite his concerns with children wards being full in winter around England, Mr Murphy added: “We don’t blame the doctors and nurses at Watford General Hospital, they can only work within the resources they have.

“The nursing team has always been amazing with Liam, he knows them and reacts well to them.

“With future increases in Watford’s population due to the local council approving development after development this situation can only get worse. 

“We cannot wait for a ‘new’ hospital. Watford’s hospital, and in particular Children’s Services, need investment and increased capacity now.”