Hospital glues boy's eyelid shut

Nathan's eye is still glued in the middle

A two-year-old boy has had an eye glued together while being treated in hospital for a head wound.

Nathan Tolley of Cannock was being treated at Stafford District Hospital on Friday when a nurse dropped glue meant for his wound on to his eye.

Staff tried for more than three hours to free his eye before he was taken to Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary.

Experts say his eye should eventually work itself free. His parents are angry such a mistake was made.

'Became distracted'

His mother, Amy Smith, said a nurse appeared to become distracted as she glued Nathan's head wound and dropped some of the liquid into his eye.

"It went from one corner to the other really quickly. It must have been really stinging him and he started to scream. It was terrible," she said.

Staff tried for three hours to wipe away the glue before Nathan was transferred to Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary.

Sealed shut

The ambulance incorrectly took them to New Cross Hospital before they finally arrived at the eye hospital, four hours after the glue went into the eye.

"His eye was totally sealed on Friday evening. By Saturday evening one corner had started to open and on Sunday evening the other corner started to come apart so it is just the middle now which is still sealed," she said.

A spokesman for the eye infirmary said Nathan should not suffer any permanent scarring although he may have scratches which would be painful.

In a statement, Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "A patient came into A&E Stafford on Friday with a cut above the eye.

"During the procedure of administering glue to the cut an amount of glue inadvertently entered the eye of the patient

"The patient was transferred from Stafford to Wolverhampton Eye hospital by ambulance.

"The trust would like to apologise to both patient and family for any distress caused as a result of this incident."