A 12 year old girl has died after an NHS walk-in centre failed on two separate occasions to diagnose sepsis.
Franchesca Pawson fell ill in January 2015 with a fever, high temperature and a rash.
An inquest has heard that her mother took her to an NHS walk-in centre in Derby on Saturday 10 January, where she was examined by a nurse for “two to three minutes”. She was diagnosed with a viral infection and discharged with painkillers.
The following day her condition had not improved, so Franchesca was taken back to the same walk-in centre. This time she was sent home with antibiotics.
Franchesca continued to worsen and the next day was rushed to Royal Derby Hospital. She died later that evening of toxic septic shock with necrotising bronchopneumonia.
“Unrecognised by the healthcare professionals”
Deputy coroner Louise Pinder said: “The significance of her deteriorating condition over the weekend went unrecognised by the healthcare professionals who assessed her.”
“There was a failure to escalate her care over the weekend, despite clinical findings falling outside the normal parameters.”
Expert witnesses at the inquest said signs of septicaemia had been missed by nurses at the walk-in centre. Criticisms were also made over poor record keeping.
Two members of staff admitted there were failings to document Franchesca’s condition properly.
The issue of preventable sepsis deaths has been widely publicised recently, and the Government has been placed under pressure to improve sepsis care.
The charity UK Sepsis Trust estimates there are 37,000 sepsis deaths each year in the UK, 12,500 of which could be avoided with earlier medical treatment.
Sepsis death claim
If you or your loved one has suffered because of delayed sepsis care, please get in touch with us to discuss your options.
Share Article With:
|
|
|
|
|
|
