A teenage girl, aged 15, met a tragic end due to meningitis when an ambulance service allegedly neglected to transport her to the hospital, as revealed in an inquest. Zara Cheesman, residing in Mapperley Park, Nottingham, should have been swiftly taken to the hospital by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) personnel before her demise on December 23 last year, according to Nottingham Coroner’s Court. Initially, she had visited the A&E on December 20 with symptoms like vomiting, neck, and shoulder pain but was discharged with a suspected case of norovirus.
The following day, two ambulance technicians, who were not registered clinicians like paramedics, visited Zara’s residence where she showed concerning signs of meningitis such as confusion and a severe headache. The inquest revealed that it was standard procedure for technicians to seek guidance from a senior clinical lead if they opted not to transport anyone under 18 to the hospital, a step that was overlooked in Zara’s case. It was mentioned that Zara might have survived if she had been brought back to the hospital.
Susan Jevons, EMAS’s head of patient safety, extended sincere apologies to Zara’s family and pledged to implement changes to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. She stressed the importance of staff members familiarizing themselves with policies, which are distributed as bulletins that clinicians must acknowledge reading. It was noted that the attending technicians claimed ignorance of the policy regarding seeking advice for under-18s, although one technician, Michael Hoy, confirmed reading it.
During her testimony, Ms. Jevons emphasized the clinicians’ responsibility to comprehend organizational policies and procedures. She highlighted the necessity of promptly transporting Zara back to the hospital since she had already been treated at the Queen’s Medical Centre the previous day. The coroner raised concerns about the technicians’ familiarity with protocols regarding minors and stressed the importance of ensuring such incidents do not reoccur.
Ms. Jevons confirmed that there have been no similar incidents post-Zara’s demise and reassured that all children requiring hospital care have been transported by ambulance crews. She expressed regret to Zara’s family and assured them of significant changes to prevent similar incidents. The inquest’s evidence phase concluded, and the coroner is expected to deliver her verdict soon.