'We just want those who were at fault to say sorry'

Parents of toddler who died from flu after hospital failings say 'light went out' when daughter died as they call for answers

- REBECCA THOMAS

The bereaved parents of a toddler who died from the flu after a “catalogue of failings” by a hospital say they are still waiting for answers about their daughter’s tragic death.

Cristiana Banciu died in January 2020 after a rare reaction to the flu, while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In 2021, an inquest identified multiple failings by trust staff, who it found had “failed to provide basic medical attention” to the two-year-old.

Three years later, the trust agreed to pay her parents Alexandru and Georgiana £25,000 following a civil claim for bereavement costs and to cover Cristiana’s funeral expenses. However, the couple say the trust has not admitted legal liability or sent a formal apology directly to them – an apology has only come via the media.

The parents want reassurance that such a tragic event will not happen again. Mr Banciu, 37, said: “Losing Cristiana is a nightmare from which we will never wake up. Nothing will bring her back, but we just want those who were at fault to admit it and say they are sorry. We have never cared about the money – no amount could replace our beautiful girl – but we wanted answers and a promise that lessons would be learnt so it didn’t happen to anyone else.