Tue, 23 Sep 2014
Evelyn Smith, from Warwick, died aged 7 last year from bacterial tracheitis.
Evelyn was sent home from A&E, and twice from a GP’s practice in the last 36 hours of her life. The suspected diagnosis was croup. Within a couple of hours of being seen by her GP, she collapsed and died at home.
Dr Richard Brittain, Assistant Coroner of Warwickshire, recorded a narrative verdict saying Evelyn’s death was preventable. He made a number of recommendations for improvements, including commissioning reports into communications between A&E and GP’s, providing more experience in paediatrics for junior doctors and developing new computer software to record medical notes.
NHS England said staff failed to spot the seriousness of her condition. A spokesperson for South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust said Evelyn’s condition was rare and the illness was "masked by common symptoms that were appropriately treated by doctors in A&E".
No5 Barrister Henry Pitchers represented the family at the inquest last Friday, 5th September.
