Swine Flu Error 'Almost Killed Our Daughter'

Louise (Admin)

A teenager whose meningitis was misdiagnosed as swine flu had to pretend she had taken an overdose of pills so that emergency services would take her to hospital.

Even then, 17-year-old Gemma Drury, from Brimington, Chesterfield, was discharged from hospital after another misdiagnosis and told to go home to bed.

After her illness worsened she was rushed back to hospital where the life-threatening meningitis was finally discovered.

Her father Kevin told Sky News: "She fell ill and collapsed. An emergency doctor came and said it was swine flu.

"But Gemma just got worse and worse with terrible headaches and vomiting.

"She wanted to go into hospital but they wouldn't take her because they kept saying it was swine flu.

"In the end Gemma was so desperate she called 999 and said she'd taken an overdose of paracetamol.

"They took her in, but she was told to go home after a couple of hours and go to bed. I went to pick her up.

"She was waiting outside of Accident and Emergency on her own."

Back at home Gemma's condition continued to deteriorate.

Mr Drury explained: "Her eyes were rolling around in her head and she'd lost all the colour in her face. She was vomiting violently. The headaches were getting worse."

After a call to NHS Direct another ambulance was called and Gemma was taken into intensive care.

Mr Drury added: "It was a paramedic who first said it wasn't swine flu. No one at the hospital apologised for their mistake.

"A doctor called us into a room and said it was meningitis and Gemma had a 50/50 chance - we were devastated."

Gemma's condition is now said to be stable.

A spokesperson for the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust said: "At her initial visit to our emergency department, Gemma reported flu-like symptoms and had been taking antivirals prescribed for suspected swine flu.

"On examination her symptoms were indicative of this and she received treatment. She responded well and was discharged with advice.

"On return Gemma's condition had deteriorated with symptoms pointing to meningitis.

"She was immediately diagnosed and treatment commenced straight away, after which she was admitted to critical care."

Hospital officials have agreed to meet the Drury family to discuss how to proceed with their complaint.

Gemma's mother Dawn said: "We could have lost our child, we are really angry and upset about this.

"Everyone is so caught up with swine flu that other illnesses are being missed. All we kept hearing was swine flu, swine flu. It was a farce.

"We just hope other parents are aware of what we have been through. We would hate this to happen to anyone else."

Julie C · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:03 pm Post subject:

How awful hope she is recovering now,

take care luv Juliexx

FlakeySugarButt · Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 1:05 pm Post subject:

That's absolutely disgusting. We're so pre-occupied with bloody swine flu at the moment and this mistake could've cost that poor girl her life.