Doctors missed chances to save girl who had meningitis, parents tell inquest

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who died of meningitis days after becoming ill believe there were two chances missed by NHS staff to save her life, an inquest has heard.

Zara Cheesman’s mother and father said their “trust was completely misplaced” when the teenager was sent home from A&E without a bacterial meningitis diagnosis and was not taken to hospital by ambulance technicians the following day.

The teenager died at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham two days before Christmas last year after showing “red flags” of the disease, Nottingham Coroner’s Court heard on Wednesday.

The inquest was told Zara, from the Mapperley Park area of Nottingham, became ill on the evening of December 19 and vomited throughout the night before she collapsed in the hallway, banging her head, at about 1am.

Zara’s mother, Judith Cheesman, phoned 111 when the girl said she had neck and shoulder pain, and was advised to take her daughter to A&E, coroner Elizabeth Didcock heard.

At QMC, a trainee nurse practitioner suggested Zara could have meningitis but thought it was more likely to be a stomach bug, the inquest heard.

Paediatric emergency medicine registrar, Dr Derek Huffadine, told the inquest he considered it could be meningitis but decided not to do blood tests on Zara before discharging her.

Dr Huffadine said: “(It was) a short illness which the predominant feature was vomiting which seemed to be getting better. She was very eloquent… she looked well but tired.

“I feel at that time it was difficult to say she had meningitis. It was in early form in terms of the presentation.

“From examining Zara, and listening to Zara, I did not feel that blood tests would help at this point.

“I honestly did not think Zara had meningitis. I’m more careful about giving general guidance if you don’t think your child is well or something has changed, come back.”

In a statement read to the court, Zara’s parents said: “We are frustrated to hear that he did not think a blood test was a logical test to do. The nurse practitioner suspected meningitis.

“Antibiotics should have been given as soon as possible. We are devastated and upset that meningitis was ruled out without the correct tests.”

The inquest heard that East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) technicians attended the family home the next day after Zara woke up “confused”.

Zara’s parents had concerns that the technicians “did not properly examine her or listen to what we were saying” and one of them “discouraged” the family from going back to hospital, the inquest was told.

In their statement, Zara’s parents said: “We believe they decided she had norovirus. We did not think we were being taken seriously.

“There were also red flags of being confused and delirious. Zara should have been immediately conveyed to A&E.”

Zara’s father, Mark Cheesman, asked if there was any possibility of meningitis but a technician told him there was not, the coroner heard.

The teenager was taken to hospital again by paramedics the next morning after she fell off the sofa at home and became “limp”.

She died on December 23 at 2.25pm.

Her parents’ statement said: “We were let down by NHS staff from two different trusts who should be experts. The two chances to save her had been missed.

“Zara died of meningitis which is easily treatable. We understand, in the past, antibiotics would have been given at the first thought of meningitis. Our trust was completely misplaced.”

Zara’s mother read a pen portrait to the inquest which described the teenager as an A* student who was a “force of nature”.

She said: “She was incredibly kind, empathetic, intelligent, funny, often stubborn and highly opinionated, having always cared deeply for those close to her.”

The inquest heard she wanted to study law at university and become a human rights lawyer, with her mother adding they had “no doubt she would have achieved her hopes and dreams and purpose”.

The inquest, which is expected to last three days, continues.