Latest news with #strepA
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Medical neglect contributed to boy's sepsis death
Medical neglect contributed to the death of a three-year-old boy who developed a strep A infection and later died of sepsis in hospital, an inquest jury has Neillings had been unwell days before he was rushed to the Chesterfield Royal Hospital in Derbyshire in November 2023 but he was not given antibiotics he needed until more than two hours after being inquest heard his care at the hospital was "fragmented" with his sepsis missed and his parents saying they were not told how ill their son bosses said they accepted the findings of the inquest. Speaking after the verdict, Oscar's mother Stephanie Neillings said: "I am so grateful that the jury were able to see clearly what happened... the hospital left Oscar to die." The jury reached a narrative conclusion and said Oscar died from natural causes contributed to by were instructed to record Oscar died from sepsis following bronchopneumonia and invasive strep A coroner for Derby and Derbyshire Julie Mitchell said she would not be issuing a Prevention of Future Deaths report as she was "satisfied changes have been implemented to improve patient safety" at the inquest previously heard from Oscar's mother who criticised medics who treated her son in hospital and "thought she was being crazy" when she suggested he had heard strep A infection was not considered when Oscar attended two out-of-hours GPs appointments on 5 and 7 his parents were told he had a "viral upper respiratory infection" and "did not consider he would deteriorate", the coroner said. After his condition worsened he was seen again at his family GP surgery the next morning where he had a nebuliser put on him and was taken to hospital under blue was seen by clinicians who found he had low oxygen levels and a poor respiratory had a chest X-ray, which showed "significant right-sided consolidation" and was given intravenous fluid and steroids. Mrs Neillings told the court doctors spoke about a chest infection and they were going to administer antibiotics but said care was "unorganised"."I had absolutely no idea how poorly he was until right at the end," she arrived at the hospital at 10:30 GMT but was not given antibiotics until 12:54 due to "delays" from a "prescribing error", the inquest Neillings said a matron came to check on Oscar later in the day and said he had deteriorated and paged for a doctor just before 15:00 and he was taken into intensive went into cardiac arrest three times and died just before 17:30. The Derbyshire Times reported consultant paediatrician Dr Nelly Ninis of London's St Mary's Hospital told the jury sepsis was "not recognised" in Oscar by staff at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, adding no-one really "owned" Oscar's care – which she described as "fragmented".The court was told how there was evidence Oscar was in septic shock the morning of his transfer to hospital, the newspaper Ninis said under National Institute for Clinical Excellence sepsis protocols, a high dose of antibiotics and "rapid infusions of fluid" were needed within the first hour to reverse septic shock, it jury heard Oscar did not receive antibiotics after nearly two and a half hours in hospital and only 10ml of fluid – when he required at least 60ml, the Derbyshire Times said. Speaking to the media on the steps of Chesterfield Coroner's Court following the verdict, Mrs Neillings said: "Our darling little boy was taken away from us and he can't come back."We long for our life to be how it was but have to adapt to this new normal, carry on and carry Oscar with us."I don't want him to be known for how he died, I want Oscar to be known for how he lived, his short life was so full of energy, happiness and love and we will be forever grateful for Oscar." Helen Reynolds, medical negligence lawyer at Fletchers Solicitors who represented the family during the inquest, said they were now pursuing a civil claim against Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation added the trust said it had produced an action plan but had not made it public."This inquest has brought painful clarity to what went so tragically wrong in Oscar's case," she said."The failings in his care are deeply distressing but the family's courage in sharing their story must lead to action."Any changes must be accompanied by clear deadlines, measurable outcomes, and complete transparency. "Families deserve assurance that these commitments are being honoured and no other child will be failed in the same way." Krishna Kallianpur, executive chief nurse at the trust, said: "At the heart of this is a family who have lost their three-year-old son and for that we offer our sincere condolences."We have submitted a full learning review and acknowledge the findings of HM The Coroner with the conclusion of natural causes contributed to by neglect. "We will continue to embed the actions taken to date to ensure that we continue to learn and improve."
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Mum tells inquest boy, 3, did not get antibiotics soon enough
Boy did not get antibiotics soon enough - inquest 10 minutes ago Share Save George Torr BBC News, Derby Reporting from Chesterfield Coroner's Court Share Save Family Handout Oscar Neillings was three-years-old when he died in 2023 The mother of a three-year-old boy who developed a strep A infection and later died said he was not given antibiotics soon enough before he developed sepsis, an inquest heard. A jury at Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard Oscar Neillings was seen by two out-of-hours GPs in the days before he was admitted to hospital. Oscar was transferred to Chesterfield Royal Hospital in an ambulance after another visit to a GP surgery but suffered a cardiac arrest in the evening of 8 November 2023 and died. Oscar's mother Stephanie Neillings told the inquest: "[For medical professionals] not to recognise sepsis when I had it on my mind... but I thought I was being crazy." Assistant coroner for Derby and Derbyshire Julie Mitchell instructed the jury to look into whether there were "missed opportunities to treat or escalate his care" and if "failures had any material bearing" in his death. Oscar, who was described in court by his mother as an "early riser who would love to sing", said he had many friends and had "a confidence I wish I had". "Oscar was so full of life and that's why it is hard to believe that he's gone," she said. "The house is very quiet now, what I would give to hear his screams around the house." The inquest heard Oscar had a chronic cough which would "fluctuate in severity" but it did not impact his day-to-day life and did not cause him breathing difficulty. He was seen by a paediatric consultant at Chesterfield Royal Hospital to be put on a two-month trial to use a steroid inhaler on 17 October 2023. Family Handout Oscar's mother Stephanie Neillings said her son was "full of life" The jury was then told Oscar developed a "minor cold" by the end of the month which did not seem to improve and became "tearful and whimpering". Mrs Neillings said: "You know when your own child isn't themselves… he wasn't even paying attention to his iPad – he didn't have the energy... he just wasn't right." She told the court Oscar was complaining of a sore throat and after a look at his tonsils, she said she saw a "white pustule" on his tonsils and requested another out-of-hours appointment with a GP. He was seen by an out-of-hours GP at Ashgate Manor in Chesterfield on 5 November who told his parents Oscar had a "viral upper respiratory infection" and "did not consider he would deteriorate" as well as "no need for hospital escalation", Mrs Mitchell said. The jury heard Oscar then began to complain of stomach pain and began vomiting. He also had "funny breathing" which the parents had not heard before. After calling 111, Oscar was seen again at Ashgate Manor out-of-hours service. Mrs Neillings said: "He was checked over by the doctor, I didn't think too much of it – it reassured us that he was going to be fine and that it was just a virus." The jury was told strep A infection was not considered. Family Handout Oscar was taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital in an ambulance on the morning of 8 November 2023 But the court heard Oscar continued to feel unwell and was unsettled in the night getting out of bed and kept sitting on the landing. He was seen by GP the next morning where he was examined and had a nebuliser put on him. Mrs Neillings told the inquest Oscar said "help me" to the healthcare staff. The boy was then sent to Chesterfield Royal Hospital in an ambulance on the morning of 8 November. Oscar was seen by clinicians who found he had low oxygen levels and a poor respiratory rate. He had a chest X-ray which showed "significant right-sided consolidation" and was given intravenous fluid and steroids. Mrs Neillings told the court doctors spoke about a chest infection and they were going to administer antibiotics. Asked about Oscar's care in hospital, Mrs Neillings said: "It was so unorganised – I didn't know what was going on. "There was a lack of communication between medical staff and us because I had absolutely no idea how poorly he was until right at the end." Family Handout The inquest was told Oscar died from 1A sepsis following bronchopneumonia and invasive strep A infection Mrs Neillings said a matron came to check on Oscar later in the day and said he had deteriorated and paged for a doctor. Oscar went into cardiac arrest and died just before 17:30 GMT. The coroner told the jury Oscar died from 1A sepsis following bronchopneumonia and invasive strep A infection. Mrs Neillings was asked by the coroner about her general concerns she had at Oscar's care from the out-of-hours appointments and in the hospital. She said: "I am adamant I saw white pustules on his tonsils but she didn't – at that time if he had the antibiotics then potentially it wouldn't have ended up [in this situation] they would've been the same as they get for strep A. "It's madness how he was sent home with a viral infection... it doesn't say what the doctor thought it could be... I find it really crazy we were sent away with a viral infection and to keep on the Calpol which wasn't working." On his care in hospital, she added: "There was a lack of leadership, no-one took control throughout the day... the fact he didn't get the antibiotics when he needed them and they missed their timescales for that. "We saw so many doctors that day and no one recognised sepsis. "[For medical professionals] not to recognise sepsis when I had sepsis on my mind... but I thought I was being crazy." The inquest, which is expected to last three weeks, continues. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
‘Beautiful' girl, 3, died hours after mum took her home from ‘third-world country' hospital on doctor's advice
A TODDLER died hours after returning home from a busy hospital where doctors said she just had a "typical viral rash". Three-year-old Penny Stevens and her mother Jemma Graham were told she was probably suffering from a virus, but she actually had Strep A. 3 3 Jemma said the hospital was "chaos" and overwhelmingly busy, with a nurse comparing it to a "third world country". This came after an alert about the bacterial infection, causing floods of concerned parents to come in. A triage nurse and a doctor told Jemma her daughter likely had a virus, so she took "exhausted" Penny home, Portmouth News reported. But an inquest heard that Penny didn't get any better, and her worried mother phoned 999 the next morning. The ambulance took four hours to arrive, and the toddler sadly died when she got to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. Grieving mother Jemma told the Winchester inquest she will "die with regret" that she took Penny to the busy St Richard's Hospital. Penny had suffered with a cough and temperature for three days when her mother took her to hospital on December 3, 2022. Jemma said: " I have never seen a waiting room so busy and noisy that I was taken aback. The room got busier and and louder." Strep A symptoms Strep A is a type of bacteria and most infections are mild and easily treated - but some are much more serious. Common symptoms of strep A include: flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, swollen glands or an aching body sore throat (strep throat or tonsillitis) a rash that feels rough, like sandpaper (scarlet fever) scabs and sores (impetigo) pain and swelling (cellulitis) severe muscle aches nausea and vomiting Strep A infections are more common in children, but adults can also sometimes get them. Most strep A infections are not serious and can be treated with antibiotics. But rarely, the infection can cause serious problems. This is called invasive group A strep (iGAS). She said there was nowhere to sit and children were crying in their parents' arms. The nurse told her "the rash is just a typical viral rash". Jemma told the inquest she "can't forgive those that should have helped us". The nurse who saw Penny told the inquest of the"immense" pressure on staff that day. She said they were "utterly blindsided" by the sheer amount of patients. The nurse said this was due to a 'media alert' about Strep A which prompted 'worried' parents to visit. Dr Maggie Davies, the chief nurse at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are so sorry for the heartbreak suffered by Penny's family, and the terrible loss they have endured. "As the inquest has heard, December 2022 was an extraordinary period with unprecedented numbers of poorly children needing care. "We will give the coroner all the support we can throughout the inquest process, and continue to improve and strengthen patient care whenever we can." The inquest continues. 3
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Drug shortages putting patients at risk, pharmacists warn
Patients are being put at risk of serious illness as pharmacists are unable to dispense vital medications due to drug shortages, industry leaders have warned. At least once a day drug supply problems mean pharmacies are unable to dispense a prescription, according to a survey of 500 pharmacies by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Currently if a prescription is out of stock, patients need to go back to their GP to get an alternative medication. But this can delay care and increase the risk of serious illness. That's because the pharmacist is not permitted to make a substitution even if they have a safe alternative in stock, this is except in very limited circumstances where a Serious Shortage Protocol has been issued by the NHS. The NPA, which represents 6,000 independent community pharmacies, is calling on the government to grant greater flexibility for pharmacists to substitute medication or strength of a drug when it is safe to do so. The NPA says it is 'madness' to send someone back to the GP and warned the current situation poses a risk to patient safety. It said it could lead to patients potentially going without vital medication, such as some types of antibiotics, presenting a serious risk to their health. In January, Lancashire coroner Christopher Long wrote to health secretary Wes Streeting on this issue following the death of two-year-old Ava Hodgkinson. He said how she died of overwhelming sepsis from a strep A infection after delays in receiving antibiotics due to restrictions preventing a pharmacist from amending an out-of-stock prescription. Mr Long wrote: 'Ava had seen her GP who had prescribed amoxicillin with a dose of 250mg/5ml. 'The pharmacy did not have this strength in stock but did have amoxicillin 125mg/5ml in stock. '(They) could not issue this as restrictions currently in place prevent a pharmacist issuing any different strength of medication without an amended prescription, even where the medication can be provided to enable the same dose to be administered (here Ava's parents could have been instructed to provide 10ml enabling the same dose of antibiotics to be provided). 'This led to a delay in Ava receiving antibiotics.' The NPA survey revealed 95 per cent of pharmacies at least once a day were visited by a patient that was unable to obtain their medicines elsewhere due to supply problems. It also revealed 96 per cent of pharmacies were unable to dispense a prescription at least once a day despite having a safe alternative formulation in stock. Nick Kaye, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association said: 'These are deeply concerning statistics which show that patients are potentially having to forgo vital medication due to shortages. 'Pharmacies are at the sharp end of medicines shortages and frequently have to turn away distressed, frustrated and sometimes angry patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'It is madness to send someone back to their GP and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'We're pleased the government are taking steps to bring together manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies to try and tackle this issue. 'However, the government must look again at allowing pharmacists - who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative when the prescribed version is unavailable." In January the government rejected recommendations from the cross-party Health and Care Select Committee for pharmacies to have more flexibility to substitute medication to tackle growing numbers of shortages. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, pharmacist and CEO of Independent Pharmacies Association, is also urging the government to make the changes. 'The risk of not implementing this, considering the big issues regarding medicines shortages, impacts significantly on patient care and risks delays in treatment which in some cases can increase serious illness,' she told the Independent. However, she explained the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is 'reluctant' to implement these changes. 'Their excuse is that there could be a conflict of interest,' she added. Dr Hannbeck added: 'They forget that pharmacy is a heavily regulated profession, and any professional mismanagement could lead to being stuck off and not being able to practice. 'Pharmacists are experts on medicines and very well placed to make minor amends to prescriptions where necessary in order to ensure timely care for patients.' Thorrun Govind, a former chair of the English Pharmacy Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, called the reluctancy to give pharmacists this power 'illogical'. 'They should be able to supply capsules for example, rather than tablets of the same drug,' she said. It comes as DHSC has made the move to shift the focus of healthcare out of hospitals and into the community. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We will work with the sector, making better use of the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, to build a service fit for the future. 'The Government is currently considering enabling pharmacists to substitute to a different dose or formulation, under specified circumstances, where such a substitution might be both urgent and safe.'
